The announcement comes as figures show 20% of new drivers have a crash in their first year on the road. The AA says unsafe driving kills more young people than drugs or knife crime.
Edmund King, AA president, said: "There are problems after the test, some down to attitude and some down to experience. If we could do some of that in the test - and in their training before they have even passed their test - that would help."
The charity Brake has called for the testing system to be completely overhauled. It believes the government should do more to protect youngsters and claims a ‘graduated licensing scheme’ would allow drivers to build up their skills over a longer period of time.
However the DfT is opposed to graduated licensing. It says a system that would allow young drivers to initially drive without passengers, or only on certain roads, would be unworkable.
