This year has already seen more R plate drivers involved in accidents than in the previous three years.

Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Jane Poole-Wilson has revealed that there have been 16 road traffic collisions already in 2025 which is three more than last year, one more than in 2023 and two more than in 2022.

She was responding to a written question from Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse who asked the Minister in each of the last three years, how many R plate drivers have been stopped by officers from the Isle of Man Constabulary and how many have been involved in accidents.

She said data is not collated on R plate drivers who are stopped by police unless they have been required to produce documents or have been involved in an incident.

Mrs Poole-Wilson explained that the statistics she has proved relate to incidents where R plate drivers have been involved in an injury road traffic collision (RTC) from January 1 to December 31each year.

R plate restrictions apply to a person who passes a driving test and they have to be displayed for 12 months.

Newly qualified drivers must display red R plates at the front and back of the vehicle while they are also not able to drive the vehicle at over 50mph.

It is important to note that while an R plate is displayed on a vehicle, all drivers are subject to a maximum speed limit of 50mph, not just the newly qualified driver.

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