The drive to make roads safer Proposals have been unveiled to shake up tests, writes Damien Henderson After a slightly bumpy start, Dominic Ritchie cautiously steers the Peugeot 206 out of Milngavie station car park and on to the main street, slowly working his way up the gears and glancing occasionally in the mirror when prompted by his instructor, Jim Gibbons, who is sitting next to him with feet ready at the dual-control pedals.

With six days to go before his test, 17-year-old Dominic appears to have mastered the basic manoeuvres and is relatively confident, if a little hesitant. But he is also aware of some of the dangers he will face if he passes.

"I think a lot of accidents are caused by people showing off," he says. "It's one thing to be driving with your instructor by your side but it's totally different if you're in the car with just your mates for the first time. I'll have to keep an eye on my speed if I pass."

The statistics underline this cautionary note. Road deaths and serious injuries have fallen by one-third since the mid-1990s, but the casualty rate for young drivers has not changed. As many as one-fifth of people have an accident within six months of passing the test and a further 70% report near-misses in the same period. In total, newly qualified drivers and their passengers account for 20% of all car deaths in Britain.

That toll prompted the UK Government to publish a major consultation on improving driver training throughout the country. Though it fell short of some of the more radical suggestions which have been put forward, such as raising the minimum driving age from 17 to 18 and imposing restrictions on new drivers, Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly did propose major reforms to the testing and teaching of driving.

Among the proposals are a revamped test which would require drivers to demonstrate independent driving skills, such as navigating their own way to a certain destination, rather than simply manoeuvring a vehicle.

There is also a proposed expansion in driver education, targeting people before they are old enough to drive as well as those who have recently gained a licence. After discussions between the Driving Standards Agency and the Scottish Qualifications Authority, a new foundation course in driver safety is expected to be piloted in Scottish schools and colleges this autumn.

On training, the Transport Secretary proposed a review of instructor training and testing, including a star-rating system allowing learners to see the pass rate of instructors and the level of training they have undergone. She also wants to introduce a training syllabus which will set out what a learner driver needs to accomplish with greater clarity and assess the point at which they are ready to pass a test.

Ms Kelly said: "It is time for a new approach to learning to drive. We must make sure that novice drivers are safe drivers when they have passed their test. We must also create an expectation of lifelong learning, so that people continue advance learning after their test."

In Scotland, where road deaths in 2006 - the latest year for which statistics are available - were 15% higher than south of the border, the need for reform is arguably even more pressing. That year, there were 314 deaths on Scotland's roads, 10% up on the year before - but still the fifth-lowest figure for more than 50 years.

In a timely reminder of the devastation that road deaths cause, this weekend saw the death of 15-year-old Lauren Roberts, killed in a two-vehicle collision on the A90 near Peterhead in a car being driven by a 17-year-old.

Jon and Karen Roberts, her parents, issued a statement through Grampian Police yesterday, describing Lauren as the "brightest, funniest, most beautiful girl any mum or dad could wish for". It continued: "She has been taken from us suddenly and without warning just as she was entering adulthood and her life was unfolding before her. Her little brother, Ellis, 10, for whom she cared so deeply, adored his sister and has taken her loss very badly."

For Mr Gibbons, who has been running his own driving school in Milngavie, near Glasgow, for the past 12 years, some of the problems stem from the differences that arise between "real" driving and preparing for a test.

"It's important to have a standard test but it's more important afterwards to have real training in real scenarios where you can pass on relevant knowledge without worrying about passing a test," said Mr Gibbons, who also represents East Dunbartonshire Council on the Scottish Accident Prevention Council.

He cites the tendency of some instructors to drive their pupils around test areas rather than on the roads - usually country roads - where accidents are more likely to occur.

"It won't simply work if you make the tests harder - it's already very difficult. At some age we have to trust young people to drive responsibly. Otherwise they will simply drive without insurance," he adds.

Given that more than 750,000 people gain a driving licence every year, three-quarters of them under 25, tampering with the testing system is not a straightforward matter. That has not deterred previous reforms: in 1996, the government introduced a multiple-choice theory test which was then supplemented with a computer screen-based hazard perception test in 2002.

Green P plates, to indicate drivers who have recently passed their test, have also been introduced on a voluntary basis and the same drivers now have the option of learning further skills through the Pass Plus scheme, whose impact and effectiveness is currently being assessed by the Scottish Government.

However, yesterday's reforms aim to go much further by changing the educational ethos of young drivers. They were given a generally warm reception yesterday by the Scottish Government - which has separately been pushing similar proposals - motoring organisations and safety campaigners.

Neil Grieg, trust director at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said most of his concerns had been addressed. But he cautioned that simply "upping the bar" in driving tests could be counter-productive.

"The main concern is if we start to make driving tests more difficult, people will be less likely to sit them and more likely to drive illegally," he said.

"It's a matter of getting the balance right between having a test which is a proper test and one that does not put people off. There's a lot of unlicensed driving going on in Scotland already and this mustn't add to that."

In a rare instance of cross-border political harmony, Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson also welcomed the consultation. "There is no doubt that there is a strong desire in Scotland to see changes being made to the current driving and testing regime with more rigorous training both in the lead up to and after the test," he said.

"This consultation will give people up and down the country the chance to have their say.

The numbers of young drivers involved in tragic accidents is still unacceptably high and it is clear that there is scope for legislative change by the DFT to address this." However, the Driving Instructors Association attacked the government for not making lessons by a professional driving instructor compulsory, calling the consultation a "missed opportunity".

Instead, officials at the Department for Transport are hoping that the obvious incentives of bringing down the cost of insurance - currently averaging around £1200 for a newly qualified male driver - will help to persuade drivers to volunteer for extra, post-test training.

Another perk of a better training system will, it is hoped, be that more people pass their test the first time around. Currently, fewer than half of people sitting their test achieve this.

"We need to change the attitude of the next generation of young drivers," said Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland.

"For that to happen, we need to educate them early, as young as primary school, so that when they do eventually get behind a wheel, they will have the sense of responsibility to handle it properly."

Suggestions included in the new consultation A star-rating system for driving instructors so that learners can make an informed choice based on pass rates. A review of driving instructor training and testing. Changing the written theory part of the test, by reforming the current hazard perception test to encourage candidates to take it when they have some on-road experience. A more focused and thorough learning process, which would mean that learners would gain experience of driving in poor conditions, such as at night or in poor weather. A new marking system for the practical test to make it more effective and consistent. A road safety foundation course to be introduced in schools. More opportunities to take extra training after the test. A separate consultation is expected to be announced shortly on plans to lower the current drink-driving limit to bring the UK levels into line with those in other European countries.