Young drivers say AA’s proposal to ban under-21 passengers is unfair

“Public transport is a nightmare,” says 19-year-old Jack Pears – which is why he relies on a car.

He says he needs it to pick up his younger sister from school in Swansea while his parents are at work.

But he wouldn’t have initially been able to do that if the AA got its way with a raft of new restrictions on young drivers like him.

One of the proposals unveiled by the motoring body this week was to ban new drivers under 21 from carrying passengers of a similar age for six months after they pass their test.

It comes after an inquest found the deaths of four teenage boys could have been avoided when their car careered off a road during a camping trip in Wales last year.

While the government isn’t thought to be considering the idea, it has got plenty of young people talking – many of whom say the proposals are unfair.

Faye Cullum has been taking driving lessons designed for people aged under 17 and is excited by the prospect of using a car.

“If this rule came into place, it wouldn’t give me any motivation to drive at all,” says the 16-year-old from Norfolk. “I want to drive because it gives me a lot more freedom.”

She adds: “If I’m paying for my car, the insurance and the tax – why should they be able to control who is allowed in it?”

Some are questioning why elderly drivers shouldn’t face tougher rules too.

Department for Transport figures show that 4,959 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes last year involving drivers aged under 25 – a decrease of 60% since 2004.

Meanwhile last year there were 3,451 such casualties in crashes involving drivers aged 70 or over – an increase of 12% over the same period.

The intergenerational issue was brought to the fore on Tuesday when an inquiry ruled that 91-year-old Edith Duncan, who has dementia, was not fit to drive when she fatally hit three-year-old Xander Irvine in June 2020.

The fatal accident inquiry called for drivers aged over 80 to take a cognitive test before their licence is renewed. Under current rules, those above 70 can renew their licence every three years though must declare any cognitive problems. If they don’t they could be fined £1,000.

We put that point to the AA’s president Edmund King – why call for more restrictions for younger motorists, but not elderly drivers too?

He says the AA has already discussed some safety measures aimed at older drivers such as mandatory eye tests when they turn 70 and giving GPs more powers to flag risks to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

But, warning of social isolation if new rules deter older people from driving, he adds: “The car is often a lifeline for an elderly person and they try and mitigate their fragility – they don’t drive at night, they only drive short distances, et cetera.”

“It’s a case of getting the balance right, as it is with younger drivers,” he says.

He also insists that some young people might feel relieved not having the peer-pressure of being a taxi service for their mates who can’t drive.

And some teenagers in Australia quite like similar restrictions that have already been brought in there, he says.

“Some of them in Australia said they actually prefer [having the rules] because it gives them the chance to build experience for six months by going out with their parents or other adults,” he tells the BBC.

“So by the time their mates are all in the car, they are a more experienced driver.”

Similar measures – known as graduated driving licensing (GDL) – already exist in Northern Ireland. In Canada, all new drivers face tougher rules regardless of age.

Josh Jones, 18, thinks there is some sense behind the proposals.

“I think, in theory, it’s a good idea,” he says. “A few months ago, one of my high school friends died. I found out that him and two of his friends were killed in a road accident.

“I don’t know how it happened. But maybe if a plan like this was in place, that wouldn’t have happened.”

He thinks the AA’s idea should include exemptions for emergencies and younger drivers whose family would otherwise struggle to get around.

“In some ways I think they’re painting all young drivers in the same colour,” says Josh, who lives in Wrexham. “We’re not all reckless drivers.”

As well as the under-21s ban, the AA wants newly graduated drivers to have “G” plates for the first six months after their test and get six points if caught not wearing a seatbelt – if this was applied under current rules, they’d lose their licence.

Mr King says this could also help bring down insurance premiums for new drivers.

For 18-year-old drivers the average cost has more than doubled to over £3,000 per year since 2022, according to figures gathered by Confused.com. For those aged 24, the cost has risen by more than 50%.

Jack says these crippling costs are why lots of his friends can’t afford to drive.

“If you’re under 21, the quotes are ridiculous,” he says. “I already spent two grand on black box monitoring – why do I need extra precautions when I’m paying that much already?”

A black box device can help young drivers reduce their insurance premiums because it tracks things like speed, braking, acceleration, cornering and mileage.

Even if these restrictions were brought in, Jack is doubtful how much safer they would make the roads. Ultimately, he says, “it’s the person behind the wheel, not their age”.