New drivers to face minimum learning period of up to six months

The UK Government will consult on whether to introduce a minimum learning period of three or six months as part of its road safety strategy.

The move is among a raft of measures, including eyes tests for the over 70s and bringing drink-driving laws in England and Wales in line with Scotland.

The proposed minimum learning period is part of a bid to tackle the high proportion of young people involved in motor accidents.

The UK Department for Transport said that “inexperience behind the wheel is costing lives” as drivers aged 17-24 represent just six per cent of licence holders but are involved in 24 per cent of fatal and serious collisions.

It added that the minimum learning period will give learning drivers “more time to develop their skills in varied conditions such as night driving, adverse weather, and heavy traffic.”

As part of the strategy, the Department for Transport plans to introduce mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70 and is looking at bringing in cognitive tests.

There are also plans to crackdown on illegal number plates, uninsured drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT.

The drink-drive limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, which is the highest in Europe alongside Malta.

Under the strategy, this may be reduced to 22 micrograms in England and Wales, bringing them in line with Scotland, which cut its drink-drive limit in 2014.

Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said:

“Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point.

“We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence. The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade."

The new road safety strategy – which is the first of its kind in more than a decade – aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035, and by 70% for children under 16.

Twenty-two European countries have made “more progress than the UK” in reducing road crash deaths, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

The number of people killed on Britain’s roads has generally declined since the 1970s but the decrease has slowed from 2010.

There were 7,763 road deaths in 1972, 1,850 in 2010 and 1,602 in 2024.

AA president Edmund King said:

"This is a positively radical reframing of road safety which is long overdue. We commend the government for its wide ranging and ambitious strategy and ambitious targets which we hope will save the lives of thousands of people.

"Tackling drivers who drive under the influence of drink or drugs, people who don't wear their seatbelts and those getting behind the wheel without insurance are key to reducing road deaths and serious injuries. We also endorse the mantra of road safety being a life-long education, not just when learning to ride or drive."