The learning period for the driving test should be a minimum of one year to reduce high death and serious injury rates among young motorists, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has said.

Three in four people think a 12-month minimum learning period would be the most effective step to reducing young-driver accidents.

The ABI said that despite a fall in the overall number of road accident casualties, more young drivers are killed or seriously injured on the roads now than 15 years ago.

It added that 10 young drivers or their passengers are killed or seriously injured on the roads every day. Road crashes are the biggest cause of accidental deaths of males aged between 15 and 19.