Look out, learners about

There is a long established parent-child ritual that has the power to make or break a bond of trust. At some point in the child’s teenage years, they will be driven to a private place – a car park, usually – off the Queen’s highway and be handed the keys. The parent will sit, rigid and anxious, while their first-born grinds the gears until the pair will set off, the car springing forward, jolting to a halt then settling into some kind of steady pace in the direction of a burger van, the owner of which is now staring at you in wide-eyed fear. Nobody would consider these Sunday afternoon sessions adequate preparation for driving on actual roads and the ban on learners using motorways has always meant new drivers having to deal with a fast moving environment which they have never experienced, so news that the restriction is to be lifted is to be welcomed. Critics say that allowing learners on to motorways is dangerous. We say that learning with an experienced motorist by your side – whether in a B&Q car park after closing time or the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh – is the best way to become a safe driver.