Currently the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is proposing that young people should spend at least a year learning to drive. The ABI also wants a lower alcohol limit for new drivers and a ban on intensive courses as the only method of learning. So, what does Arrow Driving Academy think?
For us the issue is not how long a person takes learning to drive but the quality of lessons and the quality of assessment. Some of our students learn quicker than others and don’t need to have a lot of lessons to adopt a safe driving style. Young people with high living costs due to uni tuition fees don’t want to spend more than necessary on driving lessons.
Young drivers work very hard to pass their tests, with lessons often being supplemented by parents or guardians in their own car. All learners should be assessed on an individual basis and should not be penalised for their efforts to become a good driver.
However there seems to be some positives from ABI’s review. As we agree that no blood alcohol should be allowed during the first six months of driving and that the opportunity for young people to learn to drive from the age of sixteen and a half would be beneficial to all young drivers as they would possibly gain more experience before they became qualified.
