Scottish ministers call for tougher restrictions on new drivers

Scottish ministers have called on the UK government to grant them powers to put restrictions on new young drivers in a bid to reduce road deaths. The introduction of graduated driving licences would restrict things like driving at night and the number of passengers new drivers could carry. Figures from Transport Scotland show that on average between 2020 and 2024 car users aged 16 to 22 had a much higher casualty rate than older age groups. The UK government said it wanted to keep young people safe, but had decided not to introduce "blanket restrictions" on new drivers. It is considering introducing minimum learning periods before people can sit a driving test, but Scottish ministers say that will not tackle the problem. "Its plans do not go far enough as it does not commit to wider post-test measures to safeguard young and novice drivers," said a Scottish government spokesperson. "As such, we continue to press for powers to allow us to take further action to enhance young driver safety, including the delivery of national behaviour change campaigns focused on young drivers." They said the licences are internationally proven to "help save lives and cut serious injuries". A leaked me