Taming Novice Drivers

Jonas Agwu

He was an only child. Academically, he was brilliant. He was also creative and innovative on all fronts; a singer, dancer and a composer. He was the dream child for the parents after twenty years of waiting. They stopped at nothing to give him the best; school, a chauffeur driven car to himself and regular trips abroad to countries and cities of his choice.

But on one faithful day, Mufu did the unthinkable.

He begged his ever pampering parents to indulge him on his 20th birthday and allow him enjoy the feel of driving. Oblivious of the tragedy ahead, the parents obliged him. In company of Chizo, his friend, classmate and risk-taker coach, Mufu who was yet to be licenced set out to fulfil his desire.

They took off and were cheered by the parents. They sped off, cruising at a speed of over 120km/ph along a major busy and crash prone expressway. Barely 45 minutes after driving off, they   had a tyre burst, swerved off the road and lost control crashing on to a parked trailer.Both Mufu and his friend died on the spot.

Autopsy conducted indicated that both were driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. The news of his tragic death threw their home in mourning and today his traumatised mother for the past years is yet to come to terms with the loss of Mufu, fondly called Prince by his mother.

Mufu died a novice on the wheels and daily, parents and guardians commit the same error Mufu’s parents committed by indulging their novice children to get involved in driving without the appropriate training or in company of a licensed instructor. Some are so caring and loving too that they allow the abnormal height of the child to deceive them by allowing them to do errands for them with a car.  

The question is ,who is a NOVICE DRIVER?A novice driver in a clime like the UK is a person holding a driver’s licence for at least two (2) years or periods adding up to two (2) years. This may include a first time learner’s permit holder, the holder of a provisional driver’s licence, a driver from overseas who has not held a driver’s licence for at least two years or the holder of an extraordinary driver’s licence.

The UK classifies these into type 1 and 2; type 1 refers to a person from the time they are first issued with a learner’s permit.

Once they are granted a provisional driver’s licence, they will continue to be novice driver type 1 for a period of at least one year or periods adding up to one year. Type 2 is a person who has held a driver’s licence for more than one (1) year but less than two (2) years.

GDL was introduced as   a scheme which places restrictions on new drivers. These restrictions includes not being able to drive at night, or not driving with passengers under a certain age in the car. Its introduction has long been debated by the Government – most recently in 2020, following an inquiry by the Transport Committee. At the time, the Government said it was not progressing work on GDL.

After some hiccups, the Government is again re-considering the introduction of graduated driver licencing, two-and-a-half years after last distancing itself from the system. Recent report in The Sunday reveals that transport minister Richard Holden will consider GDL with road safety campaigners at a meeting on 16 May.

The scheme according to the report could be implemented via the Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act. The Act imposes a probation period on new drivers who get their licence revoked if they get six penalty points within two years of passing.

Under the plan, drivers would not be allowed to carry passengers under 25 years-old in the first year or six months after passing their test. This is part measure to checkmate deaths or serious injury on our roads and to improve road safety for all users. The broad approach to improving safety for new and novice drivers is through new technology and improving education, while reinforcing vital road safety messages through our THINK! Campaign.”

In most clime, Graduated license is in place to reduce the number of collisions, death sand injuries among learner and novice drivers, particularly among the high risk 17 to 24 year olds, during the learning to drive period and period immediately after they pass their test. Research tells us that novice drivers are most likely to be killed on our roads in the first two years after passing their test due to their inexperience.

Therefore, these measures are designed to protect our most vulnerable road-users so that they can become safe, competent and confident drivers, helping to ensure we have fewer collisions, fatalities and injuries on our roads.

Let me throw light on the Graduated drivers licence introduced by the Federal Road Safety Corps in 2007 as part of measures to restore the integrity of the driver licence. Before this novelty, the relevant traffic regulation such as the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2004, Section 22, sub 3-7 and section 23, 24, 25 and 26 provided for an applicant for the driver’s licence to meet the following conditions.

Be 18 years and above, be physically and mentally fit, pass a driving test and pay the prescribed fee. After these, such an applicant will then qualify for a drivers licence valid for three years. However, in the face of the spate of road crashes in the country and the need to conceptualise new ideas in keeping within global best practice, the Corps through the driving school standardisation programme made it mandatory for fresh applicants to attend certified and approved driving school.

Then three stage Graduated driver’s licence is the first in the country and an improvement from what had existed before now. It is broken into three parts the first part is the pre adult (18-25) years category. Those within this group after complying with the relevant tests and other procedures as stated in the quoted sections, if found suitable, are issued with a drivers licence that is renewal after every year. Class B licence.