Learner drivers will be allowed to take motorway lessons from 2018, the government has announced.

The new rules will take effect in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Department for Transport (DfT) stated that motorway lessons will only be permitted in instructor cars fitted with dual controls, to ensure the process is safe.

As the law stands, only those who have passed their test are permitted to drive on the motorway.

The move will make UK roads safer, according to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling.

He said: "Allowing learners to drive on motorways in a supportive environment will help them develop a practical understanding of how to use motorways safely before driving independently."

He said that a lack of experience on the road was an "important factor" in accidents involving younger drivers.

"The UK has some of the safest roads in the world and we want to make them even safer," he said.

Statistically, motorways are the safest roads in the UK. However, driving on one for the first time can be a daunting experience. Surveys suggest drivers are overwhelmingly supportive of motorway lessons.

In the year to September 2016 there were 1,810 deaths on UK roads, a slight increase on the previous year.

For comparison, the highest peacetime figure for road accident fatalities was 7,985 in 1966. The highest figure of all time was 9,169, in 1941 - during World War Two.