As much as I support improvements in road safety stuff like curfews on new drivers seems like a collective punishment – IME many young or new drivers are actually very careful on the roads despite the massive distances driven to get to/from raves..
although there is a small minority of gary boys/girls who drive badly TBH I reckon this car culture happened because our society encourages too much consumerism and competition..
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Young motorists face curfew to cut road deaths
[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Andrew Clark, transport correspondent
[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Tuesday April 4, 2006
[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Guardian
[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Young people who pass their driving tests will no longer get a green light to drive freely on the roads under proposals to ban them from night-time motoring and to impose stringent restrictions on the passengers they can carry.[/FONT][FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]A government-sponsored report has criticised the poor competence of learners taking their driving test and has questioned whether the 40-minute practical examination is still an adequate challenge.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The study, by the Transport Research Laboratory, says options to cut deaths on the roads include imposing curfews on newly qualified drivers for the first two years after passing the test.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]It also suggests a rule preventing new motorists from carrying passengers under the age of 21, citing evidence from Canada that accident rates among teenage drivers can be twice as high if extra people are in the car.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]“Given the association between passengers and accidents, particularly among teenage drivers, restricting passengers for drivers when they first begin driving unsupervised is an option that merits serious consideration,” says the report, which was commissioned by the Department for Transport.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Concern about the fallibility of the driving test has been heightened by an increase in deaths among young drivers. The number of motorists aged under 20 killed rose from 120 in 2000 to 151 in 2004.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The road safety charity Brake has called for graduated licensing with different tests for “advanced” techniques such as motorway driving and night-time road use.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The researchers say that many drivers present themselves for tests far too early, motivated by saving money on lessons or by competition to beat friends to a licence.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]A national pass rate of 43% masks wide geographical differences. The success rate varies from 31% in Lincoln to 47% in Birmingham, 62% in Perth and 71% on the Shetland Islands.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Men have a pass rate of 46%, compared to 43% for women. When a female examiner is conducting the test, the success rate of women drivers falls even further.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]A detailed breakdown reveals that the most successful day for candidates is Saturday and the least promising is Friday. A large proportion of passes are first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Compulsory driving tests began in 1935 and the Driving Standards Agency now conducts 1.5m tests annually at 158 centres.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Over the past 10 years, the practical test has been supplemented by a theory test, a hazard-perception test using video clips to show potential dangers, and a series of questions about car maintenance.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The DSA rejected concern about the variable pass rate across the country, putting it down to economics: “The wealthier the town, the more likely people are to spend more money on lessons and preparation than people living in an area where there is high unemployment.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Some critics have suggested that driving instructors should be regulated more closely. Robert Gifford, director of the parliamentary advisory council for transport safety, said: “It’s a cut-throat industry. You’re a one-man band and you’re often more concerned about what your competitors are charging than what you should be charging in the interests of driver safety.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The Department for Transport said it was unconvinced about legal restrictions on young drivers. “Our aim is to continue improving the training and testing process, starting with pre-driver education.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]The AA Motoring Trust has backed a voluntary code for newly qualified drivers that would incorporate restrictions on night motoring.[/FONT]
[FONT=Geneva,Arial,sans-serif]Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006[/FONT]
