Road Safety Group Asks If Driving Test Is Fit For Purpose

THE Institute Of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is asking the thorny question of whether the standard driving test is still fit for purpose.

This comes on the back of a new poll from Vision Critical and the IAM, which uncovered that 30% of young drivers (aged 18-25) admit to breaking the law during their first few years on the road.

Furthermore, despite spending many weeks learning to pass the test, 68% of younger drivers feel that they need to improve while 25% admit to crashing.

These are backed up by official figures which show that:

A fifth of people killed or seriously injured in a reported road accident in Great Britain during 2012 were involved in a collision where at least one of the cars was driven by a young driver. While nearly a quarter of all car drivers (133 out of 542 drivers) who died in 2012 were young drivers themselves.

Commenting on the poll, IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “This survey shows that younger drivers simply don’t feel adequately prepared for independent driving.

“The current learning system is failing the next generation of motorists and there needs to be serious review. Early experience of a wide range of traffic conditions is vital but so is dealing with negative attitudes.

“This can be done most effectively through peer group discussions rather than just relying on stricter controls and curfews.”

By Press Association reporters