MY 15-year-old son, a lovable 6ft 2in streak of mouth and trousers, has been talking about “Getting A Car” in two years’ time.

It’s a milestone that most young people aspire to – driving lessons for their 17th birthday, quickly followed by going solo, preferably in their own set of wheels.

Where he thinks the money is coming from I don’t know, especially in a climate where 17-year-old males who have gleefully torn up their L-plates can end up paying insurance premiums of £3,000-plus.

It’s hardly surprising that the insurance companies whack up the premiums as young male drivers are assumed to have higher exposure to alcohol and illicit drugs, are more inclined to overcrowd their vehicles are more likely to drive irresponsibly and therefore more likely to be involved in an accident.

The facts speak for themselves. A couple of weeks ago, a 17-year-old was caught driving at 125mph in a 60mph limit only a fortnight after passing his test. Government statistics show that 14 young people and their passengers die every week in Britain – that’s two a day. It’s a shocking record that has in the past few days led to a renewed focus on young drivers being announced by ministers.

About time too, but let’s not pussyfoot around this for it’s time for some tough policy decisions. Never mind hesitant talk about putting up the age limit for learning to drive – 18-year-olds are just as likely to be petrol heads as their year-younger counterparts.

I reckon newly-qualified young drivers should not be allowed to drive cars with engines bigger than 1400cc – and preferably less. They should be prevented from carrying more than one passenger and every one of them should be made to undertake the Department for Transport’s Pass Plus scheme.

But even more fundamental than that, any new driver – young or not so young – should be made to understand that being in charge of a car is a privilege and not a right, and that they have a moral duty, not to mention responsibility, to drive in a manner that considers other road users and their passengers.

Granted, there are many young people out there who do drive properly and with due consideration to others and they are to be applauded. But the hard fact of the matter is that more 18 to 25 year olds are killed on our roads than any other group.

So, son, think on – and get saving. Hard...


HOW DO you take your whisky? A pal of mine who happily wraps himself round a bottle of Bell’s now and then was bemused to find a yellow label on his latest purchase with the bizarre words: “Security warning – remove this label before micro-waving this product.”

And no, he wasn’t three sheets to the wind because he managed to find the phone to call and tell me about it.

But it reminds me of other inane instructions you find on all manner of goods, no doubt all signed off by the ‘elf and safety brigade who quite obviously don’t have the sense they were born with. They can’t have, or they wouldn’t agree to the wording of such nonsense.

Who on earth, for example, thought it pertinent to put on a packet of condoms: “Do not drive while using this product?” There’s obviously something amiss with your sex education if you do.

And why would you attempt to stop a chainsaw with your hands? Well, in Sweden they obviously think it might be a problem so they warn people not to.

Packaging on a kitchen knife warned the user to keep it out of children, and buyers of a particular hairdryer have been told it’s dangerous to use it in the bath. Well, fancy that...

But it’s hardly surprising that ’elf and safety paranoia sets in when you come across lawsuits like the woman who sued a furniture store because she tripped over a toddler in the aisle. It was her toddler. And get this – she won.