14 June 2013

Young drivers must be allowed to gain early motorway driving experience, according to road safety charity Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). With a green paper on learning to drive due to be published later this month, the IAM are calling on the government to ensure that any new system includes allowing supervised L drivers onto our motorways.

Motorways are our safest roads and many countries including Australia and the USA already allow their use by learner drivers, often with few restrictions.

Allowing supervised learner drivers on the motorway would help them avoid some of the most common mistakes such as driving too close and centre lane hogging.

Very few drivers on the motorway today have had any training on how to use them – they learn by building up experience and from their mistakes – this is far from ideal.

Learner drivers are already a safe group on normal roads. While motorway lessons may not be mandatory, a relaxation would allow those who are most likely to use their local motorway the chance to build up some life saving experience and knowledge.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Human error is the main contributory factor in 71% of injury crashes on motorways and surveys suggest drivers often lack confidence on motorway use. This measure, plus widely available refresher and modular courses on motorway driving should be encouraged to help everyone use them from a position of knowledge and confidence. The outcome should be fewer incidents, fewer injuries and fewer delays.”

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