AA survey finds 77% support graduated driving licences

More than three-quarters of motorists support introducing graduated driving licences across the UK, according to a new AA survey. The findings come after Northern Ireland introduced stricter rules for learner and newly qualified drivers on 1 October, with the AA calling for similar measures to improve road safety across the rest of the country.

The survey of 12,441 motorists found that 77% backed the introduction of graduated driving licences, including restrictions on young drivers carrying passengers and new requirements for learner drivers.

What are graduated driving licences?

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) is designed to help new drivers gain experience while reducing their exposure to higher-risk driving situations, particularly during the months immediately after passing their test.

Measures can include a minimum learning period, a structured training programme with a logbook, restrictions on carrying young passengers or driving at night, and a requirement to display plates identifying newly qualified drivers.

The AA argues that tougher rules are needed to improve road safety among younger motorists. Department for Transport figures for 2025 show that drivers aged 17 to 24 account for just 6.3% of full driving licence holders in Great Britain, but 19% of car-driver fatalities.

New graduated driving licence rules in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland introduced new requirements for learner drivers on 1 October 2026, including a minimum six-month learning period before taking the practical driving test.

During this time, learners must complete an official training syllabus and record their progress in a logbook. Once they pass, newly qualified drivers must display R-plates on their vehicles for two years.

There are also restrictions on carrying passengers. For the first six months after passing their test, newly qualified drivers under 24 cannot carry more than one passenger aged 14 to 20 between 11pm and 6am. Exemptions apply for immediate family members and when a qualified accompanying driver is present.

The measures are intended to address the disproportionate number of young people killed or seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers. According to DfT figures, between 2021 and 2025, people aged 16 to 24 accounted for 85% of passenger fatalities and 81% of passengers killed or seriously injured in cars driven by a young driver.

Further changes are due from 1 April 2027, when the practical driving test will include a longer independent-driving section and the use of satellite navigation.

What did the AA survey find?

The AA surveyed 12,441 motorists ahead of Northern Ireland's introduction of GDL, finding widespread support for similar measures across the UK. Overall, 77% supported graduated driving licences, while 68% backed restrictions on the age of passengers carried by newly qualified young drivers.

More than half of respondents (56%) supported requiring new drivers to display an identifying plate, while 53% favoured a more structured learning programme. Support was lower for a mandatory minimum learning period, although 39% still backed the proposal.

Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: "Northern Ireland’s introduction of Graduated Driver Licensing is a significant moment for young driver safety and brings into practice many of the measures [the AA has] been calling for."

He added: "The latest casualty figures demonstrate why action is needed. Young drivers make up a relatively small proportion of licence holders, yet they and their passengers remain disproportionately represented in deaths and serious injuries on our roads."

The AA is calling for a six-month restriction on carrying young passengers for newly qualified drivers under 21, alongside a mandatory learning logbook and a minimum learning period.