Poll: Should learner drivers be allowed on the motorway?
Learner drivers will be given motorway experience with an instructor before they can pass their test under new plans announced by the Government.
The move, among a raft of changes designed to improve road safety, would be backed by a £2 million research scheme into driver education.
Currently, motorists are only allowed on the motorway once they have passed their practical exam.
AA president Edmund King said: "The current situation whereby someone can pass their test in the morning, then drive alone on the motorway in the afternoon, without ever having driven on a motorway, is ridiculous. It makes sense that supervised learners should be allowed on motorways.
"Drug-driving is still the hidden killer and official police figures on the problem are only the tip of the iceberg. Extra help for the police to counter drug-driving is welcome and overdue."
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "This move makes perfect sense to the IAM. Motorways are our safest roads but require a whole new set of skills compared to those required to pass the test.
"It is far better for new drivers to gain those skills from an expert than to learn by trial and sometimes data error. Logistically motorway driving can never be compulsory but for the many who live close to them this offers a step change in their confidence and safety in our most important economic routes."
