Learners need night-time driving lessons to help stop crashes, study finds
A study has found that a lack of experience is more of an accident risk on UK roads than age. And a road safety charity is calling for better ways to teach learners
INTRODUCING more night driving lessons for learners could help reduce the rate of crashes among new licence drivers, a study has found.
The report by IAM RoadSmart made a number of recommendations to help improve training, in the hope it would make roads safer.
Statistics revealed while new drivers are quick to learn how to avoid single vehicle loss of control crashes, they take significantly longer to learn how to deal with vulnerable road users, be safe on the motorway and safely complete low-speed manoeuvres.
The development of these skills simply came down to experience, rather than age, indicating new drivers are exposed to the same risks when they first get their licence regardless of how old they are.
This suggests accidents with new motorists could be avoided by seeking to quickly increase hazard perception and knowledge, rather than focusing on the age and maturity levels of drivers.
Titled "Young Novice Driver Collision Types", the report urged regulators to introduce more night driving hours for new licence holders, as lifestyle factors make evening and night driving more prone to accidents among young people.
Trends showed new motorists require more training in their first few months of driving to quickly bring their level of hazard perception up to a standard similar to more experienced road users.
The report called for road safety ministers to introduce advanced hazard perception training for new drivers, which could reduce the threat they pose to pedestrians, cyclists, children and disabled drivers.
As of this year, learner drivers will be allowed on 70mph motorways as part of a driving lesson with an approved instructor.
The Government has introduced the changes in the hope that learners will be able to develop their skills driving at high speeds before getting their full licence, making them safer road users overall.
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Sarah Sillars, IAM RoadSmart chief executive officer, said: “It is really useful to learn more about how young drivers are gaining the experience they need to have a safe driving career.
“However, analysing the results, it is vital that government, road safety bodies and the driver instruction industry work together to generate new strategies to target those skills that are not being learned at the fastest rate.
“It also shows that in the formative years of driving, there is clearly a need for post-test training to continue, to build experience that can reduce the number of needless tragedies on our roads.”