Graduated Driving Licences can reduce deaths by 83 per cent

12 May 2025

New research by a Sky News reporter who joined Canada's largest road policing unit and driving school shows that implementation of a Graduated Driving Licence has reduced deaths among 16 to 19-year-old drivers by 83 per cent.

Under the scheme in Canada, it takes a minimum of 20 months to gain a full driving licence, with students earning certain freedoms in stages. The rules include new drivers not being allowed on the road between midnight and 5: 00AM, a ban on travelling high-speed roads and a limit on the number of under 19-year-old passengers they may carry.

Many of these factors have featured in fatal accidents in the UK. In 2023, around a fifth of people killed or seriously injured in Great Britain in car collisions involved a young driver.

However, the possibility of a graduated driving licence was officially ruled out by the UK government in January, despite the government’s promised commitment to cutting the number of deaths for drivers aged under 24 years of age.

Under current rules, newly qualified drivers are currently subject to extra restrictions through the Road Traffic Act 1995. The law states that immediately after gaining a full licence, a new driver is on probation for two years regardless of their age.

A Department for Transport spokesperson told Sky News, "Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way.

"Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are exploring options to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers."

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