Road Safety Bill [HL]

I am grateful to Members of the Committee for the careful way in which they have presented their amendments, but I have the bad news that I shall resist them, despite the fact that I of course agree that we want to raise the standards of driving in this country. We are cognisant of the fact that newly qualified drivers have a higher risk of an accident in the early, post-test period than more experienced drivers. That is scarcely surprising because all skills need practice for their enhancement. Of course, that is a worry, but there is no evidence from Northern Ireland or anywhere else that displaying particular plates reduces the risk of accidents. I can see that it might give a certain element of satisfaction to those drivers who do not carry such plates. It might look as though that would improve road behaviour. But we have no evidence from Northern Ireland or anywhere else in the world where newly qualified drivers carry special plates that they reduce accidents. The noble Baroness, Lady Gardner of Parkes, moved the amendment about the ““R”” plate. We discussed the question of alcohol levels in an earlier amendment, and I sought to articulate then that we do not see why newly qualified drivers should be subject to any greater restriction than anyone else. There are strict limits on alcohol and we have condign punishments for those who break such limits. We fail to see why a newly qualified driver should come under greater restriction. I am not basing my argument on some cavalier response to intelligent amendments that have been carefully thought through. I would not be cavalier in any case. I know that the amendments have substantial careful thought behind them, as have our responses. We have consulted extensively on how to improve the position of newly qualified drivers. We all recognise the accident statistics and the proof that our roads are difficult to cope with. Drivers need a high level of skill to drive safely. We have responded by making the test increasingly rigorous, and by trying to improve the techniques of the trainers of those who give driving instruction. We would argue that people who have just passed the test cannot have a level of competence that matches that of the experienced driver because nothing can substitute for experience. I recognise the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Bradshaw, that it would be impossible for us to introduce fairly into the test a requirement to drive on motorways. Newly qualified drivers can drive on motorways. That may be looked on as an added danger, but motorways are the safest roads on which to drive. If all newly qualified drivers spent all their time on motorways there would not be the accident rate that we have.