Agenda 2001: Safety Programme May Be a Risk to Life

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Byline: JOHN VON RADOWITZ

A GOVERNMENT safety programme aimed at young drivers could cause more teenagers to die on the roads, experts said yesterday.

Young people aged 17 to 21 make up 7 per cent of driving licence holders, but represented 13 per cent of motorists involved in crashes resulting in an injury.

Road safety lessons in schools and colleges, aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds, have been introduced to tackle the problem as part of a Government plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent.

The education package developed by the Driving Standards Agency includes presentations by driving examiners, theoretical and practical tests, and …