Minimum driving age proposals

20/07/2007

Law firm Irwin Mitchell have joined calls from charities and MPs for the minimum driving age to be raised from 17 to 18 to cut down on the number of fatal and other serious car crashes

The firm has also supported proposals for learner drivers to spread lessons over a year before taking the test as well as a complete alcohol ban for new drivers.

The suggestions are contained in a report by the Commons transport committee, which also adds that Novice drivers should be banned from carrying passengers aged between 10 and 20 between the hours of 11:00pm and 5:00am.

Official figures show that one-third of road deaths involve a car driven by a person aged between 17 and 25, although this group accounts for just one in eight licence-holders.

David Urpeth, Head of the group at Irwin Mitchell that deals with Road Traffic collisions said:

"As lawyers we regularly deal with cases involving young people whose lives and those of their families are devastated in crashes. In some cases the young person is the innocent victim in others they are the cause. Either way, the results are tragic."

Whilst many young people might not like the proposals, they need to realise that most often the victim of a road crash is them. The statistics bear out the assumption that with age and maturity comes a greater chance of survival for themselves and others.