GRADUATED licence systems are intended to allow new drivers time to build up their skills, confidence and road experience so that they become fully competent behind the wheel.

All of the major English-speaking countries in the world - except for the UK - have some form of graduated system.

Casualty figures in the countries which have adopted such an approach show that the systems are effective in reducing the number of young drivers who are killed or seriously injured each year.

Graduated licence systems create fixed lengths of time before drivers can advance to the next licensing stage.

Restrictions usually relate to things that have been proven to affect a novice driver's ability, such as blood-alcohol levels, driving in the dark, or with passengers.

The Lancashire Telegraph's Wasted Lives campaign, aimed at cutting the carnage on our roads that is caused by young drivers, is calling for the introduction of a graduated licence system in the UK.

The idea is backed by road safety charity Brake, as well as the government's Transport Select Committee.

New Zealand was the first country to introduce a complete multi-stage graduated driving licence (GDL) in August 1987.

The rural nature of the country means that drivers start learning at 15, as many are required to operate farm vehicles from a young age.

Learner's permits are held for at least six months and licences must be carried at all times.

After passing a 20-minute practical test, the driver receives a restricted licence, which they must hold for 18 months - although this is reduced to 12 months if they attend an approved driving course.

Drivers over the age of 25 have this period reduced to six months, or three with an approved course, because they are deemed to be less of a risk than their younger counterparts.

Restricted licence holders must not drive between 10pm-5am unless accompanied by a supervisor and cannot carry passengers (apart from spouses and dependents) unless they have a fully qualified adult with them, They then sit a second, more advanced test, which focus on higher order driving skills such as hazard perception, and restrictions are then lifted.

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Transport said: "Overall there has been a reduction in the number of 15-24 year old drivers involved in crashes since 1985.

However, in recent years the trend appears to have become somewhat flat.

"Two effects that contributed to reductions are the introduction of the Graduated Driver Licensing System in 1987 and the recent decline in motorcycling."

A 2002 study, by the Injury Prevention Research Unit in New Zealand, found that young people were reasonably accepting of the restrictions, although they did not like having passenger limits placed upon them.

Dorothy Begg, senior research fellow at the Injury Prevention Research Unit, who worked on the study, said: "In New Zealand we have a restriction on the carrying of young passengers and a night-time driving curfew.

"Our research indicates that both of these conditions have contributed to fewer serious traffic injuries to young people, with the night-time driving curfew being particularly effective."

Latest figures for the USA's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that crashes involving 15 - 20-year-olds cost the economy $40.8 billion each year.

A GDL system was first introduced in Florida in 1996. To address the high fatality rate among teenage drivers, most states have adopted one or more elements of a GDL system.

Many include restrictions on carrying passengers, as NHTSA 2008 research shows that the more people in the car, the more likely a young driver is to crash.

In fact, when there are multiple passengers the crash risk is three to five times greater than when driving alone.

California strengthened its graduated licensing provisions in 1998.

A provisional permit, issued at 15 after passing a theory test, is held for at least six months before applying for a provisional licence.

A driving education course is completed and six hours of professional training is required, with 50 hours of certified practice (10 hours of which must be at night.) After passing a practical test and receiving a provisional licence, the holder must not drive between midnight and 5am for the first year and must not carry passengers under the age of 20 for the first six months. A full licence can be applied for at 18.

The NHTSA study on California reported a 20 per cent reduction in at-fault fatal and injury crashes for 16-year-old drivers, and a 21 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries amongst teenage passengers of 16-year-old drivers.

The state of Ontario, Canada, adopted a graduated licensing system in 1994, which has also been found to be highly effective.

The two-step licensing process takes at least 20 months to complete - but must be completed within five years.

Anyone over the age of 16 can receive a G1 licence after passing a eye sight exam and road rules test.

A G1 licence is held for a minimum of 12 months before the first practical test; but this time can be reduced to eight months with an approved driver education course.

G1 drivers must maintain a zero blood alcohol level, be accompanied by a fully licensed driver; must not drive on Ontario's "400-series" highways or on high speed expressways; and cannot from driving between midnight and 5am.

It is 12 months before a driver can try for a full G licence.

In the meantime, a G2 driver must maintain a zero blood alcohol level while driving. Initially, G2 drivers under 19 can only carry one passenger aged 19 or under.

After the first six months, and until the G2 driver earns a full G licence or turns 20, they can carry only three passengers aged 19 or under.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation said: "Ontario research shows that new teenage drivers are almost three times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious collision when they are carrying teenage passengers.

"In fact, research shows the more teenage passengers, the higher the risk. Our Graduated Licensing System has been a resounding success in reducing death and injury among novice drivers. "

A rigorous graduated licensing scheme was introduced in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2000.

An increase in the number of teenage road victims last year has led to further tightening of the laws and new restrictions came into force on July 1.

NSW drivers must pass three different stages over a period of four years before they get a full, unrestricted licence.

Throughout this process they must notch up a certain number of hours behind the wheel, are subject to varying speed restrictions and must not only pass a practical test but also two theory exams based on hazard perception and safety knowledge.

In 2004, the year after the drivers undergoing the new process became fully qualified, the fatality figure of 510 was the lowest recorded since 1947.

The figure dropped again in 2005 to 508 fatalities, and the number of people seriously injured also fell from 26,323 to 25,209.

British road safety charity Brake says that about one in eight UK licence holders is aged 25 or under, yet more than a quarter of motor vehicle drivers killed are in this age group.

The charity hopes that the introduction of a graduated licence system could change these statistics.

A spokesperson for Brake said: "Urgent measures are needed to improve the road safety of young drivers.

"Brake would like to see the introduction of graduated licensing to help prevent the tragic deaths of teenagers on our roads."

The Department for Transport will consider the suggestion in its upcoming review of the learner driver system, but it could be many years before a graduated system is put in place in this country.