New drivers, new rules: Why graduated licences and black boxes must become law

28 April 2025, 16:42 | Updated: 28 April 2025, 18:10

By George Icke

When I met the families of the teenagers killed in a car crash in Shipston-on-Stour, I couldn’t stop thinking about just how preventable their deaths could have been.

Edward Spencer, the young driver, lost control of his car whilst speeding just five weeks after his test.

Now four families are living with the consequences of his actions, and he’s starting his adult life locked up for 2 years.

We know there are ways to reduce the risk of this happening.

It's time we stop hesitating and introduce graduated driver licences across the country — and make telematics black boxes mandatory for all young drivers.

Graduated licences would place seemingly obvious limitations on newly qualified drivers.

A crucial rule would be stopping them from carrying passengers for at least the first six months after passing their test.

Not only would this protect passengers from someone who, by definition, is still inexperienced, but it would also protect the driver themselves.

Right now, if a young driver causes a fatal crash, they could be staring down a prison sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

That's a life ruined at 18 or 19 years old — not just for the victims, but for the driver too.

The statistics speak for themselves.

In 2023 alone, 4,959 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver.

Drivers aged 17 to 24 are involved in nearly a quarter of all fatal or serious collisions — even though they make up just 7% of the total driving population.

These numbers are not freak accidents - it’s a trend that we should be looking to break.

Insurance companies and the government both have a huge role to play here.

Telematics — black boxes that monitor speed, driving style, location, and even the time of day someone is driving — should not be optional for young drivers.

They should be the norm.

If you are reckless behind the wheel, your insurance should be cancelled. Simple.

If you drive safely, you should be rewarded with lower premiums and the chance to prove yourself as a responsible road user.

My 3 cousins, Chloe, Georgie and Kashia live in Northern Ireland.

I’d argue that they’re already ahead of the game.

Newly qualified drivers there have to display an ‘R’ plate for a full year, showing they are ‘restricted drivers’ who must stick to a 45mph limit.

It's a public signal — a way for other road users to adjust their expectations and give space, and a constant reminder to the new driver themselves to stay cautious.

We need to learn from this. We need to stop pretending that passing a test makes someone a fully capable driver overnight. It doesn’t.

Experience is earned mile by mile, in all weathers, in good times and bad.

This isn’t about punishing young drivers.

It’s about giving them a chance to build skill and judgment without the added pressure of passengers egging them on, without the temptation to show off, loud music being played and with clear consequences for dangerous behaviour.

It's about saving lives — theirs, and everyone else's.If we truly care about young people and the futures they deserve, then graduated licences and black boxes aren't just a good idea — they are a necessity.

George Icke is a reporter for LBC

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