ALL of the major English speaking countries in the world — except for the UK — have some form of graduated driving licence.

The schemes are intended to allow new drivers time to build up their skills, confidence and road experience so that they become fully competent behind the wheel.

In New Zealand the scheme is described as “a powerful tool to limit the number of accidents on our roads”.

And in Canada graduated licences have been hailed as a “resounding success in reducing death and injury among novice drivers”.

Graduated licence systems create fixed lengths of time before drivers can advance to the next licensing stage.

Restrictions usually relate to things that have been proven to affect a novice driver's ability, such as blood-alcohol levels, driving in the dark, or with passengers.

But now, as the Government’s Learn To Drive consultation nears an end, it is expected that recommendations for more pre-test learning will be made, rather than further testing once a licence is granted.

That goes against pleas from the Lancashire Telegraph, the road safety charity Brake and even the influential Commons Transport Select Committee.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said that a GDL would work in the UK.

He said: “I hope that the Government has listened during this consultation period and takes heed of what is said.

“The number of young people dying on our roads, especially here in East Lancashire, is far too high and the range of imaginative and workable ideas that form the Wasted Lives campaign deserve to be listened to.

“They have the support of the police and the support of the majority of the public.

“Similar schemes have worked elsewhere in the world and that cannot be ignored.”

The Telegraph’s Wasted Lives campaign has called for a two-part driving test to be introduced to include a series of modules that must be passed before sitting the Part One test.

Then, after a minimum of one year has passed, a Part Two test can be sat. Between passing the two tests a motorist must prove their ability to drive in a number of different circumstances, including night-time and motorway experience.

After passing Part Two a driver will still be limited to a car of no more than 100bhp for two years, will not be allowed to carry any passengers aged between 10 and 25 except family members and in an emergency.

Other recommendations include the immediate loss of a driving licence if a driver under 25 is caught doing more than 10mph over the speed limit.

This echoes what has been happening across the world for years.

In New Zealand a multi-stage graduated driving licence was introduced as long ago as August 1987. Learners cannot pass their test until they have six months of experience behind the wheel and then they can only possess a restricted licence which they must hold for 18 months.

In the USA to address the high fatality rate among teenage drivers, most states have adopted one or more elements of a GDL system. Many include restrictions on carrying passengers.

In Canada a two-step licensing process takes at least 20 months to complete.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said: “What I want and what the Telegraph wants and what the people of East Lancashire want are graduated licences, and restrictions on novice motorists.

“The statistics make it clear that many young male drivers are a danger to themselves and other road users.”

In New Zealand restricted licence holders must not drive between 10pm and 5am unless accompanied by a supervisor and cannot carry passengers (apart from spouses and dependents) unless they have a fully qualified adult with them. A second, more advanced test is in place, which focuses on higher order driving skills such as hazard perception, and restrictions are then lifted.

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Transport said: “Overall there has been a reduction in the number of 15-24 year old drivers involved in crashes since 1985.

“The system is seen as a powerful tool to limit the number of accidents on our roads.”

A 2002 study, by the Injury Prevention Research Unit in New Zealand, found that young people were reasonably accepting of the restrictions, although they did not like having passenger limits placed upon them.

In the US, a graduated system was first introduced in Florida in 1996. To address high fatality rates among teenage drivers, most states have since adopted one or more elements.

In California after passing a practical test and receiving a provisional licence, the holder must not drive between midnight and 5am for the first year and must not carry passengers under the age of 20 for the first six months. A full licence can be applied for at 18.

The NHTSA study on California reported a 20 per cent reduction in at-fault fatal and injury crashes for 16-year-old drivers, and a 21 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries amongst teenage passengers of 16-year-old drivers.

A rigorous graduated licensing scheme was introduced in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2000.

NSW drivers must pass three different stages over a period of four years before they get a full, unrestricted licence.

Throughout this process they must notch up a certain number of hours behind the wheel, are subject to varying speed restrictions and must not only pass a practical test but also two theory exams based on hazard perception and safety knowledge.

In 2004, the year after the drivers undergoing the new process became fully qualified, the fatality figure of 510 was the lowest recorded since 1947.

The figure dropped again in 2005 to 508 fatalities, and the number of people seriously injured also fell from 26,323 to 25,209.

British road safety charity Brake said that about one in eight UK licence holders was aged 25 or under, yet more than a quarter of motorists killed are from this age group.

The charity believes the introduction of a graduated licence system would change these statistics.

A spokesperson for Brake said: “Urgent measures are needed to improve the road safety of young drivers.

“Brake would like to see the introduction of graduated licensing to help prevent the tragic deaths of teenagers on our roads.”