There has been a lot in the news recently about changes to driving tests following a government-commissioned report recommending the driving test age should be raised from 17 to 18.

As a young person currently having driving lessons, this is certainly something that affects me.

It is well known that inexperienced or reckless young drivers often put themselves and others in serious danger. It goes without saying that anything that can be done to make driving safer and reduce the number of casualties and serious crashes should be considered.

The ideas to have a ban on any mobile phone use and a lower alcohol limit would definitely be worthwhile.

The current driving test doesn’t always prepare young people for some of the situations they will encounter, such as driving at night or in bad weather. So increased driving practice sounds like a good idea, but the expense of this for young people should be considered. Raising the age of the driving test will put many at a clear inconvenience, particularly in rural areas like ours.

Many 17-year-olds wouldn’t be able to get to vital places such as work or college if they were unable to drive. The night-time curfew would cause similar problems.

It is clear that more awareness about road safety for new drivers is needed but there are many problems with the current proposals.

Polly Rodin