Driving Licence: Young and Newly Qualified Drivers Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Driving Licence: Young and Newly Qualified Drivers

Baroness Kramer Excerpts
Monday 15th January 2024

(10 months, 2 weeks ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Davies of Gower Portrait Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
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Again, I would say that it is about, every three years after becoming 70, making a medical declaration to ensure that a person is of sound mind and able to continue driving on our roads.

Baroness Kramer Portrait Baroness Kramer (LD)
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My Lords, many Members of this House are grandparents with teenage grandchildren. I say as one of them that it is exceedingly alarming to know that a new driver who has just passed their test can take a number of youngsters out after a party or some other gathering or to a gathering. Hopefully, they are not breaking the law by drinking, but the behaviour in the car and the distraction is a genuinely serious issue and a major cause of many of the accidents about which we are concerned.

Lord Davies of Gower Portrait Lord Davies of Gower (Con)
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The noble Baroness is absolutely right; I cannot disagree with her. That is why the Government have commissioned the young driver research piece, the Driver 2020 project, and I hope that it will produce some suggestions as to how we may deal with this.