Major law change for ALL new drivers in Britain is pushed by campaigners in bid to crackdown on fatal accidents
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ROAD safety campaigners are pushing for stricter rules to be placed on new drivers in a desperate bid to crackdown on fatal accidents.
Measures excluding new drivers from carrying passengers were overlooked in a massive proposed shake up of road safety regulations.
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Campaigners have urged ministers to look at targeting new drivers
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A policy reducing the number of same-age passengers a new driver can carry could save 58 lives according to campaigners
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It comes after it emerged last week that ministers were drawing up plans to overhaul road safety rules.
Under the proposed shake up drivers over 70 would be subject to regular eye tests and would be banned from the road if they failed.
A measure to lower the drink drive limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath to 22 micrograms was also being considered.
The proposed rule changes for England and Wales do not include any mention of restrictions on new drivers, something campaigners said was an oversight.
One in five new drivers crashes in their first year on the roads and male drivers between the ages of 17 and 24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than older motorists.
Edmund King, president of the AA, has said that the driving law shake up needs to focus on an "overlooked reckless" group.
A suggested limit on the number of same-age passengers new drivers are allowed to have in their car could be the answer Mr King says.
He added: "We estimate if that policy was adopted in the UK, it would save at least 58 lives and at least 934 serious injuries.
"It would cut the young road deaths by between 20 and 40 per cent."
The campaigner's policy would see newly qualified drivers slapped with a limit on how many of their "peers" they can carry in their motor for six months after passing their test.
Truth behind plans for new August 1 driving rules for seniors revealed – and what it means for over 70s
According to Mr King countries like Australia and Canada, which have similar rules, recorded a fall in crashes and serious injuries of between 20 and 40 per cent.
He rejected claims that the rule would limit young drivers freedoms saying: "There is no freedom in being wrapped around a tree at 2am in the morning."
Other campaigners agree with charity IAM RoadSmart recognising evidence that restricting passengers of a similar age in the vehicles of new drivers can make reduce risk.
The charity raised concerns over how such a ban could be enforced however.
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One in five new drivers crash during their first year on the roads
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Evidence suggests banning new drivers from carrying 'peer aged' passengers reduces risk on the road
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Proposed rule changes currently under consideration mark the largest overhaul of road safety laws since the Road Safety Act in 2006.
The news of transport Secretary Heidi Alexander's planned reforms comes amid mounting evidence of increasing deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads.
Last year 1,633 people died in road traffic accidents, while nearly 28,000 were seriously injured.
This worked out to the equivalent of about one motoring casualty every 18 minutes.
The new road safety strategy, aimed at tackling the rising number of injuries and deaths, is due to be published in autumn.
Edmund King said such a strategy was 'long overdue'.
He said: "It is in everyone's interests to tackle road safety and bring the levels of death and serious injuries down significantly."
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