Learn for a year?
Is there a legal minimum number hours for learning to drive?
24.07.07: Just to update - this may well become law within the next couple of years as it has now been recommended to parliament. See more recent news articles for details.
I’ve been asked this a couple of times recently, and the answer is no.Don’t worry if you’ve heard this story, it is based on a set of recommendations from the insurance industry, and it is not law, but the Association of British Insurers have made quite a noise about it all.See the full report here:
Association of British Insurers Report
The four proposals are:
1: A minimum learning period before young drivers take their driving test. For example, a one-year minimum learning period would cut road casualties by 1,000 each year.This would need to be thought about - do they mean 2 hours a week for a year? Or do they mean that if you have had one lesson on your 17th birthday, then one lesson on your 18th birthday you would qualify? 2 hours versus 100?
2: A structured learning programme, with learners or their instructor recording in a logbook time spent driving and experience before taking their test.All driving instructors should use some form of track record to record lessons and progress. If they’re not doing this then they are probably missing out other things they should be doing - get a better instructor.
3: Measures to reduce the number of passengers carried by young drivers. This could include limiting the number of passengers during the first few months of driving. Experience in California and elsewhere suggests this would cut casualties dramatically.This could work. Less distraction, less likelihood of trying to impress, and a few months of driving in a calm environment. How well would this go down with young drivers? Not sure, though many might welcome it - “I can’t give you BOTH a lift, it’s against the law!”.
4: Less driving at night. Over half of accidents involving young drivers occur at night. Some insurers already offer lower premiums to young drivers who only drive during the day.
Looking at the figures this could work - though making people do a night driving course (at night - not just the pass plus which can be done as a theory section during the day), would be a good idea.
There are lots of people out there trying to come up with ideas to try to cut the accident rate among the 17-21 age group, who seem to be the most vulnerable. Making them take more driving lessons seems wrong, because the learner could have a relative or friend who is a retired driving instructor or police driver, who could teach them extremely well without them having to take any (paid) lessons whatsoever.
Keeping a log of driving hours, and insisting on a minimum of on road training hours (with or without an actual approved driving instructor), would improve road sense and anticipation skills which are imperative in avoiding accidents.
All of these news stories provoke interest, but few of them get anywhere and all the while the driving test is becoming harder. Until a better plan comes along, this seems to be the only way of improving road safety - unfortunately it doesn’t improve attitudes, and it is so often the attitude which proves to be the cause of an accident, not a lack of skill.
All content © Tim Manwaring