STRICT new laws clamping down on young drivers are set to force 20-year-old Ipswich man Damien Driver off the road.

STRICT new laws clamping down on young drivers are set to force 20-year-old Ipswich man Damien Driver off the road.

Driver, of Larchcroft Road, in the Crofts, admitted driving at 37mph in a 30mph limit in West End Road on June 1.

He was punished with three penalty points - which were added to three he already had on his licence after he was earlier caught driving with defective tyres.

He was also fined £60 and ordered to pay £43 costs and £15 compensation.

Because he only passed his driving test in October 2005, Driver was warned that when his driving licence is returned with his endorsements on it, it will only be a provisional licence and he will have to re-take his test.

Over the last two months, 12 recently-qualified drivers have had their full licences revoked by South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court after totting up six penalty points within two years of passing their test.

The New Drivers' Act became law on 1 June 1997 and says drivers who builds up six penalty points within two years of passing their driving test have to forfeit their full licence and revert to a provisional licence.

They have to go back to using L plates and cannot drive a car unaccompanied. They then have to take both the theory and practical driving test again.

Nationally, since the law was changed more than 140,000 recently-qualified drivers have lost their full licence under the provisions.

N Is it right to force new drivers to re-sit their test after two offences? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

N See page 10 for reporter's Paul Geater's view.