Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2014
I have been an advocate for the introduction of a form of graduated driving licence for young and new drivers since early 2010 because, after a double fatal road collision in the city of Inverness, I was contacted by bereaved parents who pleaded with me to do whatever I could to address the carnage.
In response, I set up the sensible driving, always arriving campaign, which was supported by many local businesses in the Highlands and Islands. They sponsored a series of professionally developed DVDs that we put around every school in the Highlands and Islands. We ran ads on the back of buses. Through Macrae & Dick—a local garage—we managed to have a sports car in new livery advertising driver safety. We also visited schools and communities throughout the area.
The key philosophy in our campaign was the work of Dr Sarah Jones, who has been referred to many times in the debate. I appreciate that the statistics have changed but, at the time, her stats showed that 22 young lives could be saved and £80 million saved to the Scottish economy every year.
For me, it was a no-brainer. It is a truism not depleted by repetition that there is no greater tragedy, no greater sorrow and no greater loss for any parent that the death of a young son or daughter.
I will tell members in more detail why I am speaking in the debate. In early spring 2010, when I was approached by constituents to do something about road safety in Inverness, I met the Matheson family from the city. They had just lost their son Callum, who was 17, along with his friend, who was also 17. Both were killed in a road collision in the city.
The accident statistics that I quoted earlier to Alex Johnstone are stark. One newly qualified driver in five crashes within six months of obtaining their licence. A US study showed that young people under 25 who have more than three passengers and who are driving at the weekend are five times more likely to be involved in a crash. Also, four people are killed or seriously injured in road collisions involving young drivers each day in the UK.
As Alex Johnstone suggested, there is also a rural component: rural roads throughout Scotland are more likely to be the scene of a fatal or injury road collision than urban motorways or dual carriageways.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists lists four reasons why young male drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents. As we would expect, one is inexperience and poor judgment in more difficult driving conditions.
The second reason is inadequate control of the car, resulting in single-vehicle accidents, skidding, overturning or leaving the road. More than half of accidents involving drivers aged between 17 and 25 in Scotland occur when the drivers are making general progress along the road rather than performing particular manoeuvres, such as turning, changing lane or overtaking. However, a third of collisions in rural areas occur when they are manoeuvring around bends.
There are also issues with lifestyle and attitudes. Alcohol, drugs and peer pressure are particularly important, especially in the context of social driving at night and weekends.
The other factor is economic. Young drivers are more likely to have cheaper, older cars, which offer them less protection from injury than newer vehicles and are less likely to be fitted with technology that reduces the risk of crashes occurring, such as differential braking, which reduces the loss of control at bends.
On 26 October 2010, I wrote to Stewart Stevenson, who was then the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, and whom I thank for his kind comments earlier. In answer to my question, he said:
“The legislation for Graduated Licensing is a reserved matter, but in reply to the Driving Standards Agency ... consultation, we highlighted that there is strong support for regulated driving for young drivers amongst the road safety community.”
In his winding-up speech, perhaps the minister could confirm that he would support a pilot GDL in Scotland and indicate that he will write to the Department for Transport in support of that idea. If he is looking for areas for such a pilot, I suggest that the Highlands and Islands might be suitable.
I believe that GDL is an innovative idea whose time has come. Tom Paine, an American revolutionary author, said:
“We have it in our power to begin the world all over again.”
Unfortunately, we cannot turn the clock back for families who have lost loved ones. We can, however, adopt a new, safer, proven driving regime that is aimed at slashing the carnage on our roads and preventing the deaths and injuries of young drivers.
15:15