Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of lowering the age of driving to 16.

The Department is not considering lowering the driving age to 16.

Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy and that is especially the case for young people who are disproportionately involved in road collisions.

That is why the Road Safety Strategy focuses on improved education for learner drivers. This includes consulting on a Minimum Learning Period before learner drivers can take their practical driving test. This would allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers.