Protyre News
Learner drivers hit UK motorways
By Gareth Vrac
From today learner drivers as part of their lesson plan will be taken onto a motorway throughout the UK.
Previously only those who have passed their driving test could take an additional course previously known as a ‘pass plus’ to practice motorway driving. Only learner drives in a duel controlled car with a certified instructor on board are allowed.
The government says the move will help learners gain experience to drive safely.
Road safety minister Jesse Norman said: "Britain's roads are among the safest in the world, but road collisions remain the second biggest killer of young people. Allowing learner drivers to have motorway lessons with a qualified road safety expert will help more young drivers to gain the skills and experience they need to drive safely on motorways."
A poll of over 20,000 people discovered that as many as 8% of licence holders avoided motorways for at least six months after passing their test and more than a quarter said they felt scared when they did drive on a motorway for the first time. (Source: The AA)
Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: "This change, which will help broaden the opportunities they have while learning, is very positive. It is somewhat perverse that five minutes after passing the driving test a new driver could venture alone on to a motorway without having had any motorway tuition."
Though the number of collisions is higher in urban areas, there is a greater chance of being in a fatal accident on rural roads. In the period 2011-15 the average number of fatalities occurring on rural roads per year was 987 compared with 585 on urban roads.
Over the same time period an average of 90 people per year were killed on motorways. (Source: Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and Department for Transport)
Top tips for learners trying out the motorway for the first time:
Keep calm - remember your instructor is there to help you if you have a problem. Motorways are like dual carriageways, which as a learner you will have already driven on, it's the same just a bit faster
Don't hesitate - hesitation while joining the motorway or changing lanes can put you or other drivers in danger. Once you've begun to move, they are expecting you to go
Watch speed limits – a lot of people forget that the motorway isn’t a constant 70mph. Often there are areas at 50mph supported by average speed cameras
So you’re a new driver, you’ve got your license, but what about the car?
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