New young drivers should not carry under-21s as passengers, says AA

Drivers aged nether 21 who person conscionable passed their tests should beryllium prevented from carrying passengers of a akin property for their archetypal six months arsenic drivers, the AA has said.

It suggested tougher rules that would besides spot them handed six punishment points for not wearing a seatbelt during the play - meaning they could suffer their licence.

The motoring organisation says the connection for a peculiar benignant of licence targeted astatine new, young drivers has the imaginable to forestall 934 superior injuries and prevention 58 lives connected UK roads each year.

Similar measures - known arsenic graduated driving licensing (GDL) - are already successful spot successful countries including the US, Canada, Australia and Sweden.

If it was brought successful crossed the UK, it would mean young drivers marking their vehicles with G plates - with a nonaccomplishment to show them punishable with 3 points connected their licence.

GDL already exists successful Northern Ireland, and the Department for Transport (DfT) has said it is not presently considering it elsewhere successful the UK.

The department's figures amusement 290 radical were killed and 4,669 were earnestly injured successful crashes connected Britain's roads past twelvemonth involving astatine slightest 1 operator aged 17-24.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, Jack Cousens, the AA's caput of roadworthy policy, said what was noticable crossed countries with the argumentation successful spot was "a simplification of decease and superior injuries to younger drivers and their passengers" by 20% to 40%.

Mr Cousens said that portion the authorities was bringing guardant a roadworthy information strategy, astatine the infinitesimal it was "not convinced" of the request for GDL.

"We consciousness that thing has to beryllium done, truthful we’re going to support banging this drum," helium said. "Hopefully the authorities volition alteration tact and spot that, actually, we request to marque immoderate changes for younger drivers."

A DfT spokesperson said: "Every decease connected our roads is simply a calamity and our thoughts stay with the families of everyone who has mislaid a loved 1 successful this way.

"Whilst we are not considering graduated driving licences, we perfectly recognise that young radical are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents connected our roads, and we are considering different measures to tackle this occupation and support young drivers."