Overview
- The government’s new road safety strategy proposes that learner drivers in England and Wales could face a mandatory wait of up to six months between the theory and practical tests.
- On BBC Breakfast, presenters noted that some campaign groups welcomed the proposals while others criticised the absence of graduated driving licences that phase new driver privileges.
- Sharon Huddleston told the programme the strategy is a positive step but insufficient, urging passenger restrictions for newly qualified drivers as a targeted safety measure.
- Huddleston’s 18-year-old daughter, Caitlin, died in 2017, and the coroner cited the driver’s inexperience; she believes passenger limits could have reduced the risk.
- The interview highlighted that the UK has not had a comprehensive road safety strategy for 14 years, and presenter Sally Nugent described the case as a terrible tragedy on BBC One.