The government has agreed to consider calls from the insurance industry and road safety groups to raise the minimum driving age to 18.
Reforms to the current limit of 17 are contained in a consultation document to be published at the end of the year, it was revealed.
'Boy-racers' are widely thought to be the reason behind the potential legislation change.
The most recent AA car insurance index has revealed that men under the age of 25, who cause the highest number of car wrecks by age group, are paying much more for their car insurance premiums.
An average of over £1,200 is currently paid in annual car insurance costs by young men - dwarfing those of other age groups.
Jools Townsend of the campaign group Brake, reacting to the potential reform, said: "We sincerely hope the government is finally waking up to the need to tackle the horrifying death toll involving young drivers."
Road death is the single biggest killer of young people in the UK, with around 1,000 dying last year.
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