ON Tuesday of this week I led a delegation of MPs to the Wales Office to discuss the issue of road traffic accidents.
While the number of fatal road traffic accidents amongst almost every age group has decreased, the number amongst the under 20 age group it has actually risen.
This is not necessarily the fault of young drivers per se but rather the way in which people are taught to drive in order to pass a test rather than to deal with situations that arise whilst on the road.
Also attending the meeting with me was Dr Sarah Jones, who is based at Cardiff University. Dr Jones has done some excellent research into the levels of deaths and injuries caused on Welsh roads and what can be done to reduce them.
Dr Jones has been looking into the possibility of introducing Graduated Driver Licences into the United Kingdom.
These driving licences work on the principal that a young person learning to drive would spend considerably more time learning to drive than is currently required to pass a driving test and would also cover issues such as driving on motorways far more comprehensively than is the case with pass plus (which is optional) as well as driving at night.
Graduated Driver Licences have already been introduced in many other countries, including New Zealand, Canada, the USA, Canada and countries across Europe and the effect on road accidents has been noticeable.
Once a student has passed a graduated driving test there are certain conditions that are placed on them being able to drive. For example, a young person would not be permitted to driving at night or with passengers of the same age in their car.
Clearly there would be exceptions in cases where the driver in question works a night shift, such as in a bar, or if they are accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult.
Most accidents involving young drivers happen at night or when a driver is distracted by other people in the car. These licences then empower parents to assist their children in learning to drive sensibly.
The research carried out by Dr Jones suggests that, in Wales alone, 15 fatalities a year could be avoided, 1000 fewer injuries would occur each year, and the saving to the Welsh economy would be in excess of £56m per financial year.
The saving to Brecon and Radnor would be four lives, 278 injuries and £3.6m pounds in terms of the cost of dealing with Road Traffic Accidents.
The Minister has kindly offered to speak to all Welsh Police Force Chief Constables and to write to the Department of Transport and the Welsh Assembly to see how this can be taken forward.
There will be some who argue that this is a breach of civil liberties by curtailing the rights of the young.
But any death or injury that comes as a result of a road traffic accident – particularly to someone under the age of 20 – is an absolute tragedy and anything that can be done to reduce the number of road deaths should be embraced.