Insurance for young drivers news
07/05/2009
Changes planned for UK driving tests
A national shake-up of driving tests in the UK is being proposed to attempt to cut numbers of road deaths and, as a beneficial spin-off, lower premiums for young drivers insurance.
Changes proposed include dividing the driving test into four parts to be taken separately as well as introduction of a driving syllabus to be learned before tests. Young learner drivers will be able to sit a shorter theory test by opting to take this new pre-qualification course.
Also, for the first time, candidates will have to independently drive a section of the test following road signs without being guided or instructed by the examiner.
The government wants the driving test to measure all-round competence, meaning learners are unlikely to be failed for making just one error. Completing coursework and passing the split tests is expected to take about 12 months, effectively raising the driving age to 18.
The driving test changes, if supported by ministers, form part of a new transport strategy just launched as a consultation exercise to lower road fatalities by 1000 by the year 2020.
Latest figures for 2007 show there have been almost 3000 road deaths annually, with young men who are 17-to-20 years old about ten times more likely to be seriously hurt or become a fatality than older drivers in the 40-to-59-year-old bracket.
If a reduction in fatalities and serious injuries can be achieved, it is likely to have a knock-on effect on young drivers insurance, perhaps making the cost of motor cover cheaper because car accidents among young people have tended to mean higher insurance claims than the rest of the population.
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