Meeting of the Parliament 25 March 2014
In closing the debate for Labour, I am pleased to support the Labour amendment and the Government motion, but we will not support the Conservative amendment. I am sorry to disappoint Alex Johnstone.
It has been a high-quality debate in which we have heard about a lot of good experiences. The fact that members such as Gil Paterson have brought to it their experience, not just as drivers but in a professional capacity, has helped to make it highly informative.
Many members cited statistics on young drivers, which I think provide the starting point for the debate. Although young drivers make up only 10 per cent of the driving population, they account for 20 per cent of accidents. As has been pointed out, 27 per cent of young drivers are involved in accidents in their first six months of driving, so it is clear that there is a real problem.
As David Stewart and Graeme Dey eloquently pointed out, behind the statistics are human stories and human tragedies. Families have lost young men and, in some cases, young women who were passengers in the car that crashed. Lives have been lost and people have been badly injured; their lives are never the same again. That paints the picture of the challenge that we face.
As politicians, we need to decide what we can do about the problem. In that regard, a GDL is worth looking at. As the Sarah Jones research shows, there is no doubt that a GDL would save lives and money across the budget lines of the Scottish and UK Governments. As a result of not being involved in accidents, people would be more capable of contributing to the economy and would not be such a strain on the health service.
There are different issues that must be assessed. I say to Tavish Scott that we are disappointed that the Government has not published the green paper, which represents an opportunity to develop proposals and to consider ideas including reducing the blood-alcohol maximum, restricting use of mobile phone hands-free sets while driving, and others that have been raised in the debate. The green paper would provide an opportunity for proposals to be developed and arguments to be tested, following which evidence could be examined. Ultimately, it is evidence that drives and informs proposals.
We are not in a position to do nothing; we need action from not just the UK Government but—in areas in which it has responsibility—the Scottish Government. Mark Griffin mentioned education, which the minister said he will touch on when he sums up. As a number of members have said, we also need to make the best use of police resources, so we must target policing of the problem appropriately.
More can be done on discussions between the Scottish Government and councils. Clare Adamson said that Scottish Borders Council provides free advanced driving lessons for young drivers. The Scottish Government could work with councils on such examples of good practice.
A number of interesting speeches have been made. Stewart Stevenson was correct to point out that we must ensure that our young drivers are more capable, and Tavish Scott’s point about the driving test relates to that. I remember that, after I passed my driving test, there was a big difference between going round with the driving instructor, who tells people to go from A to B, and sitting all of a sudden in the car on my own. I drove to Kilmarnock for a football match and I thought, “What do I do now?” Sadly, a lot of young drivers find that experience overwhelming, which is why we see the number of accidents that we see. That ties in to the point that Gil Paterson and others made about lengthening the time for which young drivers should learn. If we were to reduce the age limit to 16 and a half and say that young drivers must learn for 12 months, they would—as Stewart Stevenson pointed out—be much more capable by the time they passed their test and emerged on to the roads.
The debate has been constructive. Members have made their speeches constructively, even although we have not always agreed. There are important issues for the UK Government to consider in relation to the green paper, and the Scottish Government can take practical measures through working with councils. I look forward to the minister’s response.
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