Stopping needless deaths on our roads

A HIGH COURT judge in Edinburgh, sentencing two teenagers who killed a friend during a 90mph race along country lanes, has posed a question many people have asked during the course of the debate on how to stop the flow of needless deaths on our roads.

Temporary judge Kenneth MacIver ordered both drivers to be detained for four-and-a-half years after hearing that they were both just 18 when one of them crashed while they were racing each other. A 17-year-old passenger in one of the cars died instantly.

The judge questioned the wisdom of allowing young drivers “immediate, unrestricted and unconditional” driving rights upon passing their test, a right which includes access to powerful sports cars and the right to carry as many passengers as their car will hold. This is an issue which has been raised many times when young drivers are killed in the north and north-east of Scotland.

Restricting the number and age of passengers newly-qualified drivers can carry seems to have significant merit, bearing in mind that peer pressure, coupled with an urge to show off their newly-acquired skills, create a dangerous cocktail which has undoubtedly contributed to the death toll. It is a measure to which the Scottish Government should give urgent consideration.