Skipton driving instructor calls for tougher punishment for those who abuse learners
Mark Steeples says intimidating students is unacceptable
A driving instructor from Skipton has joined a national campaign calling for harsher penalties on those that abuse learner drivers.
The petition is asking the Government to do more to prevent on-road bullying of learners by introducing measures to impose stronger sentences on drivers who drive carelessly or dangerously around learner drivers.
Commenting on the impact of the issue in Mark Steeples who runs PassMark School of driving said: “I definitely think the intolerance on the road towards learner drivers has heightened significantly in the last two years but in reality it has always been an issue, it’s only recently that it has really deteriorated and intolerance has grown.
My biggest issue on the roads when teaching is tailgaters. Often, I don’t think drivers realise they’re driving too close but this is a real issue that needs addressing as it’s having an adverse impact on learners and placing them at risk.”
The report by insurer Marmalade found almost all driving instructors UK-wide have witnessed abuse directed at their pupils, with 61% of respondents reporting the most incidents at roundabouts and 32% at traffic lights.
It also found more than half (59%) of driving instructors say the amount of abuse they get has increased since the start of the pandemic resulting in one in every eight learner drivers quitting driving completely.