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Drivers face tougher test and lower speed limits in move to cut road deathsGovernment begins consultation in attempt to reduce number of fatalities from 3,000 a year
Stephen Bates and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 April 2009 09.56 BST
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More 20 miles per hour speed limits could be introduced to reduce road deaths. Photograph: Stephen Kelly/PA

The government is planning to introduce measures such as reduced speed limits and a tougher driving test to improve traffic safety and reduce road deaths.

A consultation document, being published today, will seek views on the government's road casualty reduction targets; the aim is to cut deaths by up to a third from the current annual level of 3,000 over the next 10 years.

The proposals include allowing local authorities in England and Wales greater powers over deciding speed limits, which could see a 20mph limit introduced more widely in many urban areas, especially around schools.

Road safety researchers say people hit at 20mph have a much better chance of survival than those struck at 30mph. Only one in 40 die at 20mph, compared with one in five at 30mph.

Robert Gifford, of the parliamentary advisory council for transport safety, said: "The 20mph zones are proven to save lives and that is especially important when thinking about children and the elderly."

Overnight speculation suggested the government's plans also include:

• Increasing fines and fixed penalties for traffic offences such as driving without wearing a seat belt..

• Increased police powers to stop vehicles without suspecting an offence.

• Limit motorists' rights to contest some charges.

There are also plans to update the driving test to include asking candidates to find a given destination using road signs.

Steve Garrod, the chief examiner for the Driving Instructors Association, said the proportion of people passing the test could be expected to fall from its current level of more than 40% following the introduction of the changes.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The main point of some of the new initiatives is to test people on how they will be driving once they have passed the test. I would imagine that the pass rate initially will drop."

But Garrod said the goal of improved safety might be better served by changing the process of learning to drive, rather than making the test harder.

"You could argue that a lot of emphasis is being put on the driving test, rather than the learning that goes into learning to drive," he said. "Maybe if we looked at a more modular system, where people have to complete various modules, such as driving on rural roads or motorways, then when they come to the test that is the final sign-off by somebody independent.

"If you focus purely on the test, people may pass a harder driving test but it doesn't mean to say they will be any safer."