New research has revealed a major awareness gap among Northern Ireland motorists just weeks ahead of sweeping changes to driving rules. Northern Ireland is set to become the first UK region to adopt Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) on October 1, in a move to reduce the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads.
According to government statistics, 17 to 23-year-old drivers are responsible for 21% of all fatal or serious collisions, yet they accounted for just 8% of car-driving licence holders.* Young drivers were also responsible for 73% of the casualties in collisions involving drivers aged between 17 and 23.**
The new system aims to improve road safety by bringing in measures such as a waiting period for learner drivers before taking a practical test, an extended ‘R’ plate period as well as restrictions on night-time driving and passenger numbers.
But a new survey of 700 motorists by car insurance experts at CompareNI.com has highlighted that most drivers are unaware of key details regarding the new laws.
Worryingly, just half of those surveyed (55%) said they were aware that Graduated Driver Licensing was being introduced and 70% didn’t know when the new rules would come into force – with only one in five (22%) correctly identifying October 1 as the start date.
Some 60% of respondents admitted they didn’t know how long the new R-plate display period would last – only a quarter correctly answered two years.
A further 61% of drivers didn’t know the new mandatory learning period was six months, while 71% were unaware that existing learners have a cut-off date of 31 March 2027 to pass their test under the old rules before the new laws apply to them.
The findings suggest that while many people have heard about the new laws, most don’t understand what the changes will mean for learners and newly qualified drivers.
When asked which of the new rules they felt would be most effective in improving road safety, restrictions on carrying passengers was the most popular answer (34%), followed by restrictions on driving at night (23%).
Drivers were split over whether some of these restrictions should eventually be extended to all motorists in Northern Ireland, with 45% saying yes and 52% saying no.
Similar graduated driver licensing schemes have been used in other countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia and evidence shows they can significantly reduce crashes involving young drivers.***
If the new measures are successful in helping to lower the number of accidents on our road, it could in turn help reduce car insurance premiums for young drivers, as insurers will hopefully face fewer claims.
The latest figures show that young drivers in Northern Ireland currently face average premiums of £1,303 a year – just behind London, the UK’s most expensive region.
However, many drivers appear unconvinced that the new rules will lead to meaningful insurance savings. Some 55% did not think the new restrictions would help lower premiums for young drivers, compared with 44% who believed they would.
Of those who believed the changes would reduce premiums, more than half (55%) thought it would take more than three years for these savings to be felt.
Ian Wilson, car insurance expert and Managing Director at CompareNI.com said: “Graduated Driver Licensing is the biggest shake-up to learner-driver rules since the 1950s and could be a real gamechanger when it comes to improving road safety here.
“It’s concerning that, with the new rules just weeks away, many motorists are still unclear about what is actually changing.
“For young drivers and their friends and families, these aren’t minor changes – they will have a big impact on when a learner can take their test and how they can drive once qualified.
“Learners will have to wait at least six-months before taking their practical test, and after they pass, they will have to display R plates for two years instead of one. The 45mph speed restriction for learners and new drivers will be removed, and there will be a limit on how many passengers they can carry at night-time.
“The rules are designed to help new drivers gain experience safely by limiting their exposure to high-risk situations, but they can only make a difference if people know and understand the requirements.
“I would urge all road users – especially young drivers and their parents – to brush up on these new laws and how they could affect them. Taking the time to understand the changes now will help prevent confusion when they come into force next month, and ultimately help keep our roads safer for everyone.”
A poll by CompareNI.com earlier this year found strong public concern about the safety risks associated with younger motorists. Six in ten respondents (61%) believed drivers aged 17–24 are the most dangerous on the road, while almost three-quarters (74%) say young drivers are more easily distracted than older motorists.
Meanwhile, 37% said they have either been involved in, or know someone who has been involved in, a road traffic accident involving a young driver.
While the majority of people are in favour of Graduated Driver Licensing, 27% expressed concerns that some of the proposed rules may be too restrictive.
Furthermore, 41% felt the new rules would be too difficult to enforce, while a fifth were worried they could encourage rule breaking.
More information on GDL can be found here.
CompareNI.com can help drivers in Northern Ireland find savings on all sorts of car insurance products, including young driver insurance, learner driver and multi vehicle cover.
*https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/news/graduated-driver-licensing-gdl-monitoring-report-2023-has-been-published-today-thursday-27-march-2025?utm
**https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-02-20/debates/E7FB061B-89A8-4413-A9B2-F764EEA083E0/YoungDriversGovernmentSupport#:~:text=The%20insurance%20industry%20states%20that,aged%20between%2017%20and%2023.
***https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory/statistics-and-analysis-archive/young-people/licensing-regimes_en?utm
Survey: CompareNI.com’s findings are based on a randomised survey of 700 respondents across Northern Ireland during September 2026, which represents a margin of error of approximately 5% at a 95% confidence level.
Photo credit: iStock londoneye
