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Research done by moneysupermarket.com has shown that the British public do not agree with recent findings published by researchers at Cardiff University regarding young drivers.

The leader of this study on the behaviour of 17 to 24 year old drivers, Sarah Jones, announced last month that the introduction of a Graduated Drivers License (GDL) could save 200 lives a year and help to prevent up to 1,700 injuries – Although this announcement has been controversial.

In a poll of visitors, users of moneysupermarket were asked whether they thought teenagers and young drivers should be allowed to drive at night – one of the main restrictions suggested by the research.

Whilst sixty percent of people asked agreed that young drivers needed the experience on the road, half of this group said that they should be allowed on the road to gain it, whilst the other half suggested they should spend time with an experienced driver in safer surroundings, and 26% of those quizzed expressed concerns about policing the restriction, meaning 56% of those questioned felt a GDL would not benefit young drivers.

Those questioned raised queries on what would be done during short winter days, when youngsters could potentially be forced to pay for the upkeep of a car whilst also having to use public transport to get to and from work, effectively doubling their expenses. Others wanted to know what would be done with a vehicle full of teenagers miles away from home who may have broken down or been otherwise delayed in returning home, and the police resources this would use.

One positive of these suggestions for young drivers would be the possibility of cheaper insurance for young drivers – which would be excellent news for 17-22 year old males who now stand to pay around £2457 for an average insurance policy – Over £200 a month. If the GDL was brought in, companies would be able to offer cheaper quotes by using ‘black box’ type devices to track their usage.

These boxes work by broadcasting information via GPS, allowing the insurer to track the number of miles done, times driven and other metrics of interest to insurers.

Steve Sweeney, head of car insurance at moneysupermarket.com, said: “While it may be good news for the industry that the issues facing younger drivers are firmly on the agenda, our research shows Brits are questioning whether a GDL would really work. Enforcing this system will be incredibly hard to do in practice and I don’t believe it would stop young motorists getting behind the wheel to obey the rules.