The AA survey found that 77% of respondents would support introducing similar measures elsewhere in the UK, with restrictions on passengers of a similar age to newly qualified drivers proving particularly popular.
Other measures also received majority support. Some 56% backed using a special plate to identify young newly qualified drivers, while 53% supported a structured learning programme covering different types of roads and driving conditions. Meanwhile, 39% said learners should be required to complete a minimum learning period before taking their practical driving test.
Northern Ireland's new system includes a minimum six-month learning period, a training syllabus and logbook that must be completed before the practical test, followed by a two-year period during which newly qualified drivers must display R plates.
For drivers under 24, the first six months after passing their test will also include restrictions on carrying passengers aged 14 to 20 between 11pm and 6am. There are exemptions for immediate family members and situations where a suitably qualified accompanying driver is present. From April 2027, Northern Ireland's practical test will also include a longer independent-driving section and the use of sat nav.
The case for additional measures is highlighted by Department for Transport figures for 2025. Although 17-to-24-year-olds held just 6.3% of full driving licences, they accounted for 19% of car-driver fatalities in Great Britain. Crashes involving at least one car driver aged 17 to 24 resulted in 269 deaths and 4,466 serious injuries among road users during the year.
Young passengers are also particularly vulnerable. Between 2021 and 2025, 16-to-24-year-olds represented 85% of passenger fatalities and 81% of passengers killed or seriously injured in cars driven by a young driver.
Edmund King, Director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “Northern Ireland’s introduction of Graduated Driver Licensing is a significant moment for young driver safety and brings into practice many of the measures we have been calling for. The latest casualty figures demonstrate why action is needed. Young drivers make up a relatively small proportion of licence holders, yet they and their passengers remain disproportionately represented in deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
We welcomed the renewed focus on young driver safety in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy in January, including the proposed minimum learning period. However, we were disappointed it did not go further and include peer-age passenger limitations for newly qualified young drivers.
The AA Charitable Trust’s central call remains a simple six-month restriction on peer-age passengers for newly qualified drivers under 21. We have asked the UK Transport Secretary and Road Safety Minister to review Northern Ireland’s move into GDL with the hope it will pave the way for similar life-saving measures elsewhere in the UK.”