Shropshire motorists welcome plans to allow learners to drive on motorways

Learners may also have to clock up 120 hours of supervised practise before sitting a test – which some Shropshire drivers say would make it too expensive to learn to drive.

The announcements were made by transport minister, Andrew Jones, who said he wanted to make UK roads, some of the safest in the world, even safer.

He said: "These changes will equip learners with a wider range of experience and greater skill set which will improve safety levels on our roads.

Director of the RAC, Steve Gooding, said: "The casualty statistics tell us that motorways are our safest roads, but they can feel anything but safe to a newly-qualified driver heading down the slip road for the first time to join a fast moving, often heavy, flow of traffic.

"Many are so intimidated by the motorway environment that they choose instead to use statistically more dangerous roads, so we welcome this move which will help new drivers get the training they need to use motorways safely."

The Department for Transport is also looking at trialling a target number of hours of lessons to complete before learners take their test.

The proposal is one of a number of ideas being considered by ministers as part of a £2m research programme into improving safety for new drivers.

Experienced driver Nigel Woodcock, from Oswestry, said he believed that there should be a separate, advanced test before having permission on your licence to drive on a motorway.

He added: "I drive on motorways every day of the working week covering a very large part of the country.

"Some of the driving I see is shocking. I'm positive a lot of it could be eradicated with an additional test before being allowed on them. "

However, Zoe Gregg, from Telford, said that in Shropshire many people lived a distance from their nearest motorway.

She is also against having to clock up 120 hours of lessons saying she would not be able to have afforded it even as an adult.

Lucy Hill, from Ellesmere, is currently trying to save money to have driving lessons.

She said: "Having to log up to 120 hours seems like a lot, and if that's £20 per hour that's over £2,000, a big ask for young learner drivers. I couldn't afford that now, even with three jobs."