When is the Best Time to Start Driving?

Parents and driving bodies are at odds over the best time to start teaching youngsters about driving.

A new survey has shown that over a third of parents have expressed a desire to see the legal minimum driving age raised to 20, whilst the RAC have labelled such a change ‘unworkable’. 

The conflict has arisen due to a new research from Asda Money, which has shown that shows 35% of the 1,054 mothers and fathers that were surveyed think driving tests should be pushed back by at least three years.

The main reason, they say, is that the current 17-year-old threshold means young drivers get onto the road unprepared, whilst a huge 58% thought 17 year olds are too irresponsible to control a vehicle. Meanwhile, only 8% thought the current test was up to the task of preparing new drivers for a life on the road.

The RAC however, couldn’t be further removed from parents in their opinion, and instead think that driver education should be started in schools.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "Driver education for young people should start before they have the chance to get behind the wheel, to address some of these concerns. In other parts of the world that education starts in schools.

"The suggestion that the legal age for taking a test should be put back three years is frankly unworkable as so many young people, particularly in rural areas, rely entirely on being able to drive to get to work or college.”

Plans are in place to review and possibly amend the workings of the driving test, one way or the other, later this year.

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