L-Plate System Fails the Road Test Say Young Drivers

CARDINGTON, BEDFORD, England, March 16 --

- New motorists call for revamp on the 70th anniversary of the driving licence

NEWLY-qualified motorists have slammed the learn to drive regime for putting them on the roads with too little training.

Four in five young drivers told Autoglass researchers they reckon they're a danger to other road users despite having passed their test. And six in ten claim they were trained just to pass the test rather than drive safely.

Now, as the driving licence reaches its 70th anniversary, newly-qualified motorists are calling for a radical overhaul of the L-plate system.

They say they're horrified by some of the on-the-road experiences the test hasn't prepared them for and are calling for driving lessons and tests to include motorway and night driving and handling dangerous situations.

Nigel Doggett, managing director of Autoglass said: "Young drivers have made it clear that the learn to drive regime - which is founded on a test set up in 1935 and based on motoring conditions at the time - now leaves them feeling ill-prepared and unsafe on today's roads.

"They have the basic skills needed to pass their tests but their concern is that, without the experience to spot hazards or judge situations, they are a risk to themselves and other road users."

The Autoglass report reveals that today's L-drivers only drive the equivalent of two round trips between London and Birmingham before passing their test. Four in ten have less than five hours practice without their instructor.

Once they have passed, seven in ten describe driving alone as nerve-wracking. Despite this, over half admit they speed, two in five say they can't judge situations and a third say their driving is erratic.

Four in five say they're a risk to themselves, their passengers and other drivers. And three-quarters say they're a risk to pedestrians.

Doggett said: "If the next generation of learners is to drive more safely, the learn to drive regime must help them face the same difficult driving situations as they will find on the UK's roads."

Autoglass, working with the Institute of Advanced Motorists, has prepared a five-step plan to help learners gain the experience they will need to drive safely.(1)

Case studies are available, with pictures.

    Mistakes young drivers admit     %    What they think the next  %
    they've made                          generation of learners
                                          should have to do
    Gone over the speed limit        51   Drive on the motorway     64
    Rushed out at roundabouts or     40   Drive in bad weather      56
    junctions
    Not had enough experience to     39   Deal with dangerous       55
    judge situations                      driving situations
    Driven erratically               34   Drive at night            55
    Cut up another driver            28   Take refresher tests      41
    Not given enough time for        26   Log a minimum number of   36
    braking                               hours

1 The five-step plan is:

- Get another, more experienced driver to take you out at night, in bad weather or with passengers in the car.

- Ask your instructor or another driver to take you on the motorway for the first time.

- Always aim to stay two seconds behind the car in front.

- Expect the unexpected, like cars stopping out of the blue at roundabouts or overtaking as you cross a line of traffic.

- After passing your test, make some trips simply to practise your driving.

For further information and/or the Steer Clear report: Lisa Kilmartin / Lucy Prioli, QBO Bell Pottinger, Tel: +44(0)20 7861 2424