The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has urged Labour to introduce Graduated Driving Licences in a bid to improve road safety for millions.
The safety charity pointed to alarming statistics which found that young drivers are "significantly overrepresented" in serious and fatal road incidents.
According to RoSPA, the fatality rate for drivers under 25 is a staggering 71 per cent higher than for other age groups, which has prompted the call for urgent action.
The organisation said it now believes a Graduated Driving Licensing system could help protect inexperienced drivers while they develop crucial skills.
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Experts have called for the restrictions to be put in place to help stop young drivers from being killed on UK roads
PAReports have already found that similar systems have been effective in other countries, reducing road fatalities by up to 40 per cent.
"Driving is a complex skill to master, and young drivers often face unique challenges as they gain experience on the road," RoSPA stated in a recent announcement.
The organisation highlighted that under-25s are currently overrepresented in serious and fatal road incidents. This concerning trend has prompted calls for a more structured approach to driver licencing for young people.
RoSPA said that there is an opportunity to support young drivers' independence while also prioritising their safety. The approach allows novice drivers to gain experience under lower-risk conditions before facing more challenging driving situations.
Meanwhile, a petition calling for similar measures in the UK has gained significant traction following several tragic incidents involving young drivers.
Started by Crystal Owen after losing her 17-year-old son Harvey in a car crash, the petition has now gathered over 106,000 signatures. Owen's son was being driven by a newly qualified driver when the car left the road and ended up in a water-filled ditch.
"Almost 5,000 people are seriously injured or killed in a road traffic collision involving a young driver aged 25 and under, each year in the UK," the petition stated.
It highlighted that 24 per cent of drivers killed in crashes involving young drivers are the drivers themselves, while 26 per cent are passengers, and 50 per cent are innocent people not in the car.
The petition called for several specific safety measures for newly qualified drivers between the ages of 17 and 19.These include a minimum six-month learning period before being eligible for a practicaltest.
For the first six months after passing their test, young drivers would also not be allowed to carry passengers aged 25 or under unless accompanied by an older adult, under the proposals. Violating this rule could result in six penalty points, leading to immediate licence suspension.
The proposal does include exemptions for young parents taking their own dependents, PIP mobility component recipients, and members of the armed forces.
Despite growing calls for the GDL to be introduced, the Department for Transport has indicated it is not currently pursuing this approach.
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Graduated Driving Licences could impose six-month restrictions on newly qualified driversGETTYA DfT spokesperson said: "Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads.
"Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way."
The spokesperson added that the Government is "considering other measures to tackle this problem and protect young drivers," though specific alternatives were not detailed.
