The convener of Tayside Joint Police Board has called for mandatory off-road training for new drivers in a bid to halt the tragic loss of life on Scotland’s roads.
Angus councillor Ian Mackintosh was speaking after the local authority unveiled its road safety action plan as it attempts to minimise the number of people killed in accidents across the county by 40% over the next nine years.
Mr Mackintosh has suggested “getting into bed with the insurance companies” and forcing those who have just passed their driving tests to take extra lessons at locations such as skid parks to equip them with skills to cope with the severe weather often experienced by Scottish drivers.
His belief is that as a result the number of collisions would decrease on a nationwide level meaning that insurance firms would see their costs fall and would therefore be in a position to offer cheaper rates. This would be of particular benefit to younger drivers, who often face annual insurance bills of thousands of pounds.
“Drivers need an opportunity to test their cars and see how they will cope with different weather conditions and for this they need an area where they can drive in severe conditions off the public road,” Mr Mackintosh said. “Too many young people don’t know what to do the first time they encounter a situation where their car skids and we all know that the consequences at times have been quite horrific.”
He added that he felt the present system of testing learner drivers was becoming inadequate as they were not being examined in an appropriate range of conditions.
The road safety action plan also features advice on responsible driving, pedestrian safety and speed enforcement.
Photo used under a Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user tgraham.