Recurring concern

Insufficient driver experience for safe vehicle control

First to latest report 1 Jun 2015 — 4 Jul 2024

Reports that mention this concern
3
Times this concern has been raised
3
Stated actions linked to this concern
11

What this concern includes

Includes assertions that identify insufficient practical driving experience as impairing a driver's ability to control a vehicle safely, including newly qualified or inexperienced drivers and inadequate experience handling unexpected vehicle-control difficulties.

What is not included
  • Excludes general driver competence, training or licensing deficiencies where insufficient practical driving experience is not the identified unsafe condition.
  • Excludes passenger-related distraction or restrictions on carrying passengers unless the report also identifies insufficient driver experience as the safety concern.
  • Excludes vehicle defects, road hazards and individual collisions where driver experience is not the shared unsafe condition.
  • Excludes failures to assess or restrict driver fitness, licensing or medical suitability when the concern is not insufficient practical driving experience.

Reports and published responses 3 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. Northamptonshire

    AI-generated summary

    Harry Peter DUNN · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Harry Dunn died shortly after arriving at hospital following a head-on collision between his motorcycle and a car on 27 August 2019. The principal concern was that diplomatic personnel based at RAF Croughton were not provided with driver familiarisation or training, and that subsequent training may not have specifically covered the risks of wrong-way driving.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of UK driving familiarisation and training for diplomatic personnel

    Wider context from the report

    “(2) In terms of driver training provision there was a distinction between what was provided to the US Military and what was provided, or rather not provided, to Diplomatic personnel. The input provided to the US military personnel amounted to a driver briefing and the completion of a UK theory driving test. Nothing was provided to the diplomatic personnel. (3) ████████ had received no familiarisation or any other form of training between her arrival in the UK on 24 July 2019 and the accident on 27 August 2019. Prior to the accident she had passed a thorough arrow signalling to a driver if they happened to be overtaking to get back to the left hand side. However, ████████ had not yet familiarised herself with the UK Highway Code and neither had she been trained in the differences in and significance of road signs in the UK. ”

    Source location

    Harry Peter DUNN · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Continue working with US Visiting Forces and the US Embassy to maintain focus on driver training and road safety awareness.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “There is a continual need to focus on the issue of driver training and road safety awareness, especially as military forces and diplomats rotate through the UK. We are committed to continue work with the US to maintain our focus on this. We will be meeting the representatives of US Visiting Forces and the US Embassy in London again next month to do so.”

    Source location

    Response from MOD & FCDO
    Page 1 · response
    Published 7 August 2024

    Open published response

  2. Cumbria

    AI-generated summary

    Caitlin Lydia Huddleston and Skye Olivia Mitchell · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    On 14 July 2017, Caitlin Lydia Huddleston and Skye Olivia Mitchell died at the scene after the car in which they were travelling lost control on a wet bend and collided with an oncoming van. The principal concerns were Skye’s limited driving experience, the presence of two passengers of a similar age, possible distraction, and the increased risk associated with carrying passengers.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Hazard of driving by inexperienced drivers

    Wider context from the report

    “(1) That Skye was a driver with only 4 months driving experience after passing her driving test; (2) That she was accompanied by 2 friends of similar age in the car; (3) The circumstances of the loss of control are likely to be a direct result of the inexperience of the driver; (4) Whilst we do not know this is the case it is likely that Skye Catlin and ████████ would be having discussions in the car at the time, and these may have distracted Skye when driving; (5) The carrying of passengers in the car increases the likelihood of death or injury not only to the driver but also to the passengers being carried, therefore multiplies the risk. ”

    Source location

    Caitlin Lydia Huddleston and Skye Olivia Mitchell · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Publish the refreshed Road Safety Statement and two-year action plan addressing young-adult road safety risks.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Since your letter with ████████ MP in 2018, the Department has continued to improve road safety in the United Kingdom. In 2019 the Department published its refreshed Road Safety Statement – ‘A Lifetime of Road Safety’ and two-year action plan. 15 of the 74 actions in the plan addressed road safety risks faced by young adults learning to drive.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 1 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Evaluate interventions designed to improve the safety of young novice drivers through the Driver 2020 project.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “In the 2018 letter to ████████ MP there is reference to the Driver 2020 project. The Driver 2020 project (an evaluation of interventions to improve the safety of young novice drivers) commenced in January 2019 and over 28,000 learner and novice drivers have been recruited. We expect the project to report in early 2023.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 1 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Run the THINK! “Road Whisperer” campaign targeting young and inexperienced drivers with safer-driving messages.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• In March 2019, DfT’s THINK! team ran a campaign directly targeting new drivers “The Road Whisperer” campaign. As 1 in 5 drivers crash within the first year after their test, this campaign is aimed at young drivers who feel vulnerable on the road and may take risks on the road to overcompensate for their inexperience. Through the character of the Road Whisperer, who shared wisdom with young drivers about challenging situations like driving at night or on country roads, the campaign communicated the message that it takes time to learn the ways of the road. This campaign was viewed on social media by an estimated 13.8 million times within the young people community.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Fund development of a modular learning approach for driver training, including e-learning and competence assessment.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• In March 2020, we funded the Driving Instructors Association (DIA) to develop a modular approach to learning. The vision of modular learning is to potentially reduce young driver collision risks without posing greater restrictions on young people, or increasing the costs or time taken to learn to drive. Whilst the Driver 2020 project includes interventions designed to increase the amount and variety of pre-test practice (the logbook), this intervention is distinct as it also uses e-learning and includes assessment of learners’ competence during the training period.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement practical driving-test changes incorporating independent driving and assessment on higher-risk roads and traffic situations.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• Changes were made to the practical driving test in December 2017. The independent driving section, where the candidate must drive for 20 minutes without detailed guidance by the examiner, provides more relevant ‘real world’ situations for the assessment of a candidate’s ability to manage the vehicle, route and traffic simultaneously. The new test means that they spend less time on minor roads for manoeuvres enabling test routes to focus on high risk areas, such as busier roundabouts, rural and higher speed roads, where collisions occur.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Use Northern Ireland’s graduated driving licensing introduction as a pilot to gather evidence for applying graduated licensing in Great Britain.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “For this reason, the Department has decided to use the introduction of GDL in Northern Ireland as a pilot, to gather evidence on the potential for GDL in Great Britain. The Northern Irish Government has consulted on secondary legislation to bring a number of provisions into force, including passenger carrying restrictions and a six month mandatory minimum learning period.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - November 2018
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Run a £2 million research programme testing five technological and educational measures intended to improve young and novice driver safety.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “In April 2017, the Department commissioned a £2 million research programme to explore the effectiveness of five technological and educational measures to improve the safety of young and novice drivers, both before they take their test and after they have passed. The aim of the study is to provide thorough evidence as to whether any of the interventions produce clear road safety benefits and reduce collision risk. The measures being tested are:”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - November 2018
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Investigate whether emerging technology, including virtual reality, can improve learner drivers’ hazard perception skills.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Better hazard perception skills are crucial to improving road safety and we have used our ‘Innovation Challenge Fund’ to investigate how new technology, including virtual reality, can help learner drivers hone their hazard perception skills before taking their tests.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - November 2018
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    No research will be commissioned into the social and economic consequences of Graduated Driver Licensing.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Whilst the Department for Transport acknowledges the recommendation on continuing research into Graduated Driver Licensing, the Department will not be commissioning any research into the social and economic consequences of GDL.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 2 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    No further restrictions on young and novice drivers will be enforced during the COVID-19 recovery because of potential educational, employment and wellbeing harms.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this Government has no current plans to enforce any further restrictions which could be detrimental to the younger generation. We are also conscious that any move to place any form of restrictions on young and novice drivers would be detrimental to their education and employment prospects, as well as the potential to negatively affect their social and mental health during the national recovery from COVID. These effects would also be felt more severely in rural or socio-economically challenged areas in the United Kingdom.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 3 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Foreign licensing-restriction statistics are considered neither comparable nor evidence that Graduated Driver Licensing is necessary in the United Kingdom.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “We remain of the opinion that statistics from other countries who use a form of licensing restrictions show that it is not comparable nor necessary in the United Kingdom at this time for young and novice drivers.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - July 2021
    Page 3 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    The Department will not introduce GDL nationally until evidence establishes that its safety benefits outweigh restrictions’ potential risks and costs.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “However, the Department needs to be sure that the benefits of introducing GDL to the UK are balanced against the potential risks and costs of the restrictions on the young drivers themselves, as many (especially in rural areas) use their cars to get to work or college.”

    Source location

    Response from Department for Transport - November 2018
    Page 1 · response
    Published 3 February 2025

    Open published response

  3. Cumbria

    AI-generated summary

    Sgt Mark Colin Foley · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Sgt Mark Colin Foley died on 4 June 2014 after being ejected from a Land Rover that left the road and rolled over him. The substantive concerns were insufficient driver experience and a practice of vehicle commanders not wearing safety harnesses, together with failure by senior officers to enforce standing orders requiring their use.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Insufficient driver experience in controlling vehicles during difficulties

    Wider context from the report

    “1. Although the Army has taken action following a land accident prevention and investigation team report I was concerned although ████████ was qualified to drive the vehicle he had insufficient experience in encountering difficulties in controlling the vehicle. ”

    Source location

    Sgt Mark Colin Foley · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Review the feasibility of additional inexperienced-driver training for vehicle loss-of-control scenarios.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “With regard to driver training, defensive driving is an integral element of all our vehicle instructor, commander and driver training. We have reviewed the feasibility of providing additional training for inexperienced drivers in case of the loss of control of vehicles, and concluded that it would be exceptionally difficult to replicate such circumstances without introducing a high degree of risk to those within the vehicle.”

    Source location

    2015-0204-Response-by-Ministry-of-Defence
    Page 1 · response
    Published 1 June 2015

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Develop an online defensive-driver training package covering road awareness, vehicle control, driving styles and vehicle technology.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “We are currently looking at a potential requirement to create an online defensive driver training package to improve safety through inclusion of road awareness, vehicle control, driving styles and vehicle technology.”

    Source location

    2015-0204-Response-by-Ministry-of-Defence
    Page 1 · response
    Published 1 June 2015

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    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Additional training to replicate vehicle loss-of-control situations was not pursued because doing so would create a high degree of risk to vehicle occupants.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “With regard to driver training, defensive driving is an integral element of all our vehicle instructor, commander and driver training. We have reviewed the feasibility of providing additional training for inexperienced drivers in case of the loss of control of vehicles, and concluded that it would be exceptionally difficult to replicate such circumstances without introducing a high degree of risk to those within the vehicle.”

    Source location

    2015-0204-Response-by-Ministry-of-Defence
    Page 1 · response
    Published 1 June 2015

    Open published response

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

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Data last updated 7 September 2026