A roads minister is facing calls to restrict newly licensed teenage drivers from carrying young passengers for the first six months after passing their test.
The RAC Foundation has written to Labour's Lilian Greenwood, presenting data that demonstrates drivers are at the highest risk of accidents within the initial six months of obtaining their licence.
The minister for the future of roads has been asked to introduce a new category of licence for novice drivers aged 17-19, according to the Sunday Times.
This proposed licence would prohibit them from transporting any passengers aged 25 or younger for the first six months after passing their test, unless accompanied by an adult aged 35 or older.
The suggested rules would also mandate a six-month learning period for new drivers. This requirement could effectively eliminate ultra-intensive "crash course" style training programmes that currently allow some individuals to take their driving test after only a few lessons.
If a move was adopted it would bring the UK closer to Australian rules which stop newly qualified drivers under 25 from giving a lift to more than one passenger overnight.
Penalties for breaking the would-be laws could see penalty points added to the licence to bring about an immediate ban and requirement for a new test.
Ms Greenwood, the MP for Nottingham South, has not commented.
She backed a previous effort by her Labour colleague Kim Leadbeater in May to introduce graduated driving licences.
Her namesake Ian Greenwood - no relation - said his 12-year-old daughter Alice was killed in 2008 when a car, being driven by an 18-year-old, crashed into the family’s vehicle.
“They would not have been driving on that road and therefore Alice would probably still be alive, age 28 and happy,” Mr Greenwood told the Times.
Sharron Huddleston, 54, has also backed the move after her daughter Caitlin, 18, was killed in a car crash after taking a lift from her friend Skye Mitchell, also 18, in 2017.
Ms Huddleston said: “She was inexperienced — the coroner said that was the cause of the crash and recommended graduated driving licences be implemented.”
The Department for Transport has been approached by the Standard for comment.
