New drivers under 25 could face young passenger ban

New drivers under 25 could face a ban from carrying young passengers in their vehicles as part of a proposed “graduated driving licence” scheme.

Transport minister Richard Holden will consider the plan with road safety campaigners at a meeting on 16 May.

The proposal has already been approved by Support for Victims of Road Crashes, an advisory committee to the Department for Transport (DfT).

The scheme could be implemented via the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act, which imposes a probation period on new drivers who get their licence revoked if they get six penalty points within two years of passing.

Under the plan, first reported by The Sunday Times, drivers would not be allowed to carry passengers under 25 in the first year or six months after passing their test.

Sharron Huddleston is the main advocate for the law change after her daughter, Caitlin, was killed in a car crash in 2017 as a front seat passenger.

The driver, also 18, was her friend, Skye Mitchell, who also died. She had passed her test four months previously.

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Another teenager in the back seat survived the crash with serious injuries.

The crash took place on a Cumbrian country road on a wet evening and an inquest found that Ms Mitchell, as a new driver, had been going “a little too fast” for the conditions when the collision took place with a van travelling in the opposite direction.

The assistant coroner agreed with Ms Huddleston for the graduated driving scheme to be introduced to protect inexperienced drivers and prevent future deaths.

Road safety charity Brake said new drivers with passengers of similar age were four times more likely to die at the wheel than if they drove alone because there would be an element of them “showing off and taking more risks”.

This peer pressure was one reason young drivers were less likely to be involved in an accident when carrying older passengers.

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Hundreds of young drivers killed each year

One in five drivers crash within a year of getting their licence, while over 1,500 young drivers are killed or seriously injured in the UK each year, according to the charity.

Brake cited late-night driving, speeding, drink and drug driving, and using mobile phones as risk factors for young people when driving.

Radd Seiger, a crisis expert who featured in Harry Dunn’s case versus Anna Sacoolas, will be at the meeting with Mr Holden alongside Ms Huddleston, according to The Times.

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Government taking ‘broad approach’

The scheme had been considered under Theresa May’s government, but held off due to concerns around nighttime driving and newly-qualified under 25s who worked shifts, such as doctors and nurses.

The campaign is aimed at men aged 17-24, who are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the road than drivers aged 25 and over.

A DfT spokesperson said: “Every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy, and we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety for all users.

“Our broad approach to improving safety for new and novice drivers is through new technology and improving education, while reinforcing vital road safety messages through our Think! campaign.”

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