Overview
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary Lilian Greenwood said the Department for Transport is not considering reducing the minimum driving age to 16.
- The statement answered a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Peter Bedford about assessing potential benefits of a lower age.
- Government figures for 2024 show one in five people killed or seriously injured were in crashes involving a young driver, and men aged 17 to 24 face four times the risk of drivers 25 and over.
- In 2024, collisions involving at least one younger driver led to 4,740 people being killed or seriously injured, compared with 19,368 for other age groups.
- The government is consulting on a Minimum Learning Period between the theory and practical tests as part of its Road Safety Strategy, which remains a proposal rather than enacted policy.