IT would be wrong to suggest that all teenagers are dangerous drivers, but new figures showing an increase in the number of youngsters dying in motoring accidents is clearly a cause for concern.

Statistics from the AA Motoring Trust show that young driver deaths have increased in a year from 113 to 151, despite a sharp decrease in the number of 16-19-year-olds holding licences in this country.

The rise has rekindled the debate over whether new drivers are adequately prepared for taking vehicles onto the road and, in our view, they are not.

For a start, we believe that the minimum age for someone to hold a driving licence should be at least 18.

In addition, it is wrong for anyone - no matter how old they might be - to pass a test and then be given carte blanche to take to the road.

One suggestion put forward by the AA Motoring Trust is for young drivers to be banned from driving at night, when most accidents occur.

Our own recommendation would be for it to be made mandatory for newly-licensed drivers to have to carry a provisional licence for a year after passing their test, and for their vehicles to have to carry signs making it clear to other motorists that they are inexperienced drivers.

Driving a car is one of life's great pleasures and a provider of great freedom.

But it can also destroy lives unless the utmost care is taken.