Is 17 too young to drive?
Find out why six out of 10 motorists want the driving age raised from 17 to 18 years…
You have to be 18 before you can take to the road in most European countries, but 17-year-olds have been able to drive in the UK since the driving test was introduced 80 years ago.
And it would seem that most British motorists believe that raising the driving age to 18 would save lives on our roads, according to a new survey for dash cam maker SmartWitness.
What’s more, 76% of drivers support the introduction of 12-month probationary licences for all teenagers who have passed their test.
A further 62% believe young drivers should have to display a green P (probationary) plate as a warning to other road users.
The survey also found that 67% of motorists support tougher rules for drivers aged 17-19. One popular measure – supported by 63% of drivers – was making the ages of 17-18 a learner year.
Young people would be able to learn to drive under supervision but could not take their test till they were 18.
Seven out of 10 motorists (72%) support an immediate road ban for any teenager caught speeding.
Department for Transport statistics show that nearly one in eight (11.9%) of all road casualties are hurt or killed in collisions involving a car driver aged 17 to 19 – despite the fact that this age group makes up only 1.5% of licensed drivers.
And a fifth of deaths on British roads involve drivers aged 17-24.
“It is sad fact that young motorists drive around 5% of all the miles driven in Britain but are involved in about 20% of the crashes where someone is killed or seriously injured,” said SmartWitness chief executive Paul Singh.
“It is clear there is overwhelming support for tougher laws governing young drivers.”