Learners on motorways – new law from 4th June
If you’ve seen a few learners on motorways this summer, your eyes haven’t been playing tricks on you – the law changed on 4th June to allow learner drivers to take motorway lessons with an approved instructor.
But why did the government make this change? Is it a good thing, and will it improve driving skills and prevent accidents? Let’s explore the new law and see…
Driving on motorways – a special skill?
Picture the scene: a new driver has passed their test and wants to spread their wings and enjoy their newfound freedom to explore. The problem is that to get anywhere that isn’t local, they’re probably going to have to bite the bullet and get on a motorway – an experience that’s a real baptism of fire for all but the most confident new drivers.
Until now the time-honoured method for the sensible newbie was to take an experienced driver with you for moral support or book in some expensive advanced lessons with your old instructor, but many simply gritted their teeth and went for it – a tactic that’s perfectly legal, but fraught with potential danger.
Nothing can prepare a new driver for the intensity of driving 20 mph faster than they’ve ever done before while being surrounded by countless HGVs and cars travelling (illegally) at even faster speeds – is it any wonder that many new drivers give up after one attempt or find themselves involved in near misses or accidents?
The new law that allows learners on motorways will go a long way in preventing these scenarios…
Learning safely
Motorway lessons won’t, however, be compulsory, and as of yet, won’t be part of the practical driving test – you’ll still need to pass your test before driving on the motorway. With young people making up far too high a percentage of those involved in road traffic accidents, the government should be applauded for these changes to the law, which they hope will help us to see a downward trend in those statistics.
Actually, motorways account for far fewer accidents than expected, thanks to generally sensible driving and the quality of our roads, but overcoming that initial fear in the company of a trained driving instructor with dual-pedal controls has to be a good thing.
So, it seems that this new law is here to stay and we’ll start to see plenty of learners on motorways from now on – and it’s up to us experienced drivers to give them a wide berth and drive responsibly too!