New call to change 'licence to kill' for young drivers

One brief mistake nearly 10 years ago left Sophie Morgan in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

She flipped her car over while driving with friends just after picking up her A-Level results.

Nearly 10 years on, 28-year-old Sophie is calling for a major shake-up to the way people are taught to drive.

The government says it'll announce how it plans to improve the driving test system soon.

Sophie has been talking after making a documentary for BBC Three about young drivers.

"There are so many people having terrible accidents at the moment and the driving licence isn't fit for purpose," she said.

"We don't experience driving on the motorway, or driving at night, or with passengers or loud music."

Sophie spent time with several families who had suffered because of bad driving.

Sixteen-year-old Harveen Singh's mother and uncle died when Manchester City footballer Courtney Meppen-Walter crashed into their car.

"I want to forget everything, but it's really hard because when I go to sleep I'm thinking about my mum," he said.

"They told me a footballer did it, and if he goes to prison he only gets 10 years. I lost my whole family."

Meppen-Walter was driving at nearly twice the speed limit in a 30mph zone and was jailed for 16 months.

Road crashes are the biggest killer of 17 to 24-year-olds in the UK and one in five drivers has an accident within five months of passing his/her test.

The department for transport says options for improving young driver safety are "under consideration".

A spokesman said: "Reducing the number of accidents involving young drivers is a top priority for us and we have already taken steps to make the driving test more realistic by introducing independent driving and stopping the publication of test routes."

•A minimum learning period before drivers are allowed to take the test

•Allowing learners to take lessons on motorways, in bad weather or at night

•Making the test more difficult

•More incentives for young drivers to take extra training after the test

•Bringing in temporary restrictions on new drivers - including a possible ban on carrying non-family members

Licence to Kill is on BBC Three at 9pm on 24 April.

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