Advice for learner and newly qualified drivers

17 to 25 year olds make up to 8% of the UK licence holders, yet they are involved in over 30% of collisions (Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2010 - DfT 2010).

There are numerous research studies and statistics to highlight the vulnerability of young and inexperienced drivers, but the key is to be aware of the dangers to avoid becoming a statistic. The skill of driving or riding can give a person a new independence and it is a skill for life, but in truth the learning should never stop. There are a variety of reasons why young, inexperienced drivers and riders make more mistakes than their more experienced counterparts. Some of the most common mistakes made by newly qualified drivers often have little to do with driver control error.

What are the most common mistakes made by newly qualified drivers?

• Speeding.
• Overloading the vehicle.
• Distractions (Passengers/mobile phones).
• Misjudging stopping distance and the gap between traffic.
• Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol .
• Overconfidence (in themselves and the machine) and risk taking.

No driver is perfect, but we should all take the time to examine our own mistakes and seek to rectify them to prevent them occurring again. Examine your own characteristics and qualities and think about how you can transfer them to the road. Learning to drive can give you increased independence and develop new skills, but not many people would consider themselves to be in a position of social responsibility.

The Good Egg Campaign for parents of newly qualified drivers

The Good Egg Campaign website offers information and advice to parents of learner and newly qualified drivers. There are also other websites that offer more training materials, guidance and additional driver training.

If you are a parent of a newly qualified driver you can contact the Bury Council Road Safety Team to receive a free copy of the 'Good Egg Guide for Parents of New Drivers' (subject to stock availability). Alternatively you can visit their web site.

More information for newly qualified drivers

The learning process

The Driving Test comprises both a theory and a practical element, which can be further broken down into different assessments. The theory test involves a multiple choice questionnaire and a series of hazard perception clips.

Cars and Motorcycles Theory Test pass mark:

• Multiple choice test - 43 out of 50
• Hazard perception test - 44 out of 75

The practical test consists of an initial eye sight check, followed by 'show me, tell me' questions and then a practical driving assessment. The eye sight check simply requires the learner to read a number plate from 20 metres if it is a new style licence plate or 20.5 metres if it is an old style licence plate. Then the learner will be asked two 'show me, tell me' questions by the driving examiner relating to vehicle safety ad maintenance. Failure to answer these questions correctly will result in the trainee receiving a driving fault. The practical driving test should last for approximately 40 minutes and the entrant is allowed no more than 15 driving faults and zero serious or dangerous faults.

Insurance

Every vehicle in the UK is required by law to be taxed if used or kept on a public road and in order to tax your vehicle you must be insured. There are different types of car insurance available, that reflect the needs of different drivers situations and journeys. The most popular are as follows.

Third Party Only

This provides cover in the event of damage or injury to a third party or their property. Essentially this type of covers anything or anyone that maybe affected by your car, apart from yourself and your vehicle.

Third Party Fire and Theft

As Third Party Only, but with the additional cover against your car if it is stolen or catches fire.

Fully Comprehensive

As third Party Only/Third Party Fire and Theft, but with the addition of cover for damage to your own car, even if the incident was your fault.

Third party insurance may not necessarily be the most appropriate cover or the cheapest cover. You should research all the options available to you carefully. There are many additional extras that can be incorporated into a policy, which you should always check very carefully to make sure that you have the appropriate level of protection.

Telematic Black Box Insurance (pay as you drive or usage based insurance)

This is an emerging type of car insurance cover that uses satellite based GPS systems alongside information technology and telecommunications. Originally this insurance cover was based within fleet and cargo management, but has now become more popular for high risk drivers (newly qualified). The driver is expected to pay a smaller annual fee, plus an amount based on their usage, their performance whilst driving or the times of day they drive. The content of the policy and the price, including the installation of the black box varies across different companies. Those drivers that are safer and adopt careful driving styles will be rewarded with lower premiums. This insurance is also popular with parents because some companies have websites, where you can track the performance of the driver that has the black box insurance. Another added benefit is that most of the telematic black box companies can also use the GPS tracking if a vehicle is stolen.

Is the driving test enough?

The content of the driving test and the learning to drive process have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, especially since the publication of the, "Learning to Drive: Report on Consultation" by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2009. There have been many suggestions put forward about changing the learning process and placing additional restrictions on newly qualified drivers. The suggested restrictions have focused on limiting the numbers of passengers that newly qualified drivers can carry, limiting the engine size of the vehicle that they are permitted to drive, curfews on driving at late night and other restrictions. The proposals were put forward due to the vulnerability of newly qualified drivers, although the executive summary of the report on the consultation stated that:

"Whilst the consultation has identified some support for increased regulation of the way that people learn to drive, or the placing of post-test restrictions on newly qualified drivers, we are not persuaded by the arguments put forward by these alternative approaches". (Learning to Drive: Report on Consultation" Department for Transport 2009)

Perhaps the most sensible and relevant proposition put forward was placing a greater emphasis on progressive lifelong learning, both before and after the driving test. This related to offering more incentives for drivers to undertake further assessments and training post test. Another key suggestion, which may come about in the future, could be to extend the learning process into a Graduated Driving Licence (GDL). All GDL schemes are implemented differently around the world, but the philosophy behind this proposal is to extend the learning period to allow drivers to build up their skills gradually. Not only will this allow drivers to gain experience of safer driving under supervised conditions, it should also enable drivers to experience a greater variety of traffic, road and environmental conditions, thus preparing them for the future.

Additional driver training

Just because someone has passed their test does not mean that it is the end of the learning process. Organisations like RoSPA and the IAM offer advanced driver training (see links below) and may have organised training bodies in your area.

The Pass Plus Scheme is aimed at new drivers to help them become safer drivers. It was developed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to target the vulnerability of newly qualified drivers in the first year after passing their test. Further information can be found on Direct Gov's website.

Further guidance and links to other websites

There are many services, agencies and places of reference that are already available to give you the relevant information and guidance about learning to drive. You will find links to these websites in 'Offsite links' on the right of the page. You can also contact our Road Safety Team.

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