MP wants first aid to be part of driving test

Bill could ‘save hundreds of lives’

A bid to make all new drivers undertake four hours of practical first aid training as a compulsory part of their driving test has the “potential to save hundreds of lives”, the Tory MP behind the move has said.

Will Quince wants to make first aid training a mandatory part of obtaining a driving licence in the UK.

And he believes his proposals would not only give people the confidence to help at the scene of an accident but also illustrate to new drivers the dangers of “speeding and reckless driving”.

The MP for Colchester made his case for the change to the House of Commons yesterday as he used the 10 minute rule motion procedure which allows backbenchers to bring forward their own draft legislation to introduce his Driving Licence (Mandatory First Aid Training) Bill.

He told the House that almost 2,000 people were killed on the UK’s roads last year and that current knowledge of first aid in the UK is “patchy”.

He added that a St John Ambulance survey found that 59% of people would not feel confident enough to step in and try to save a life at an accident scene.

Mr Quince believes his Bill could remedy that.

“I don't think it’s an exaggeration to say this change has the potential to save hundreds of lives,” he said.

He added: “First aid knowledge and skills would also make new drivers more aware of the potential dangers on the road and indeed the perils of speeding and reckless driving.”

Mr Quince said that since the new theory test was introduced in 1996 “road fatalities in this country have more than halved”. Mr Quince’s Bill was adopted by the House unopposed.