Graduated Driving Licensing System, issued to first-time drivers, is not a new concept. It has its origins in Australia in the 1960s. Graduated Drivers Licensing, or GDL, is a system of three-stage approach to granting young/new drivers full licence privileges.
After passing a qualifying test, a young driver is granted a Learner’s Permit allowing him to drive only under the supervision of an adult in the car for a period of time, or a minimum number of hours before earning an intermediate licence.
In the next stage, the newly trained driver acquires Intermediate Licence to drive on roads under restrictions such as no cell phone, or a restriction on the number of passengers allowed in the car. Restrictions vary from state to state.
Finally, at the last stage, the driver is entitled to receive Full Privilege Licence when he or she meets the age and any other requirement to earn an unrestricted driving licence.
Requirements vary from state to state. Automobile insurance companies generally support graduated licensing. North American graduated driver licensing systems came into being in the late 1980s and 1990s, which were heavily influenced by a revamped graduated licensing system introduced in New Zealand in the 1980s.
This system is now introduced in almost all US and Canadian jurisdictions posing particular restrictions in driving with a passenger and night time driving curfews for young drivers.
Once the learner’s licence is issued in South Africa, an individual gets two years to attain a full licence under a time-based graduated licensing system. It has three categories of learner’s licence where Category 3 permits learners (at least 18 years of age) to drive all vehicles except motorcycles while two other categories are meant for motorcycles.
In Hong Kong, there is no age restriction. Probationary Driving Licence enjoys a new licence with respect to driving private cars, mini vans and motorcycles while the others have extra requirements upon licensing.
A driver on probation adheres to a 12-month minimum restricted period by complying the rules such as placing a proper white plate with red letter “P” in front and rear of the vehicle, speed limit not to exceed 70 km/hour or the road’s speed limit, restrict to overtaking lane on highways, and driving without passengers (for motorcyclists only).
In the UK, provisional driver’s license is allowed to learn driving a car from the age of 17 under the supervision of someone over 21 years. It is 16 in the case of a light quad bike.
Similarly, each province in Canada is responsible for transportation laws. Most provinces such as Calgary, Alberta, Ontario have similar graduated licensing programs. Even in the US, the states are responsible for implementation of transportation laws. The federal government does, however, try to encourage graduated driver licensing through its National Priority Safety Program fund.
One needs to take time for becoming a safe and skilled driver. This does not happen overnight. It is not easy to learn and develop skill on how to properly operate a vehicle and drive according to the rules of the road as it takes time. New drivers gradually develop their skills and driving knowledge over time.
Over a period of time, the manner in which driving licence from most of the states in India is issued is primarily based on the people or monetary influence rather than in a scientific manner such as the Graduated Driving Licence System.
It is feared that younger people are increasingly getting killed on the roads — more than 50 per cent of the total fatalities in road accidents. It’s a high time to embrace and strengthen law in India for implementation of Graduated Driving Licence.