A recent report by the AA Charitable Trust and Make Roads Safe campaign has found that nearly 40% of drivers had crashed by the time they turned 23-years-old. Around a quarter of those polled had crashed within two years of getting their driving licence.
The report calls for greater education and driving opportunities for young drivers. Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “It’s no secret that new and young drivers are disproportionately represented in road crashes and we need to work together to stem this tide of carnage.
“Road safety education must be a life skill that starts at the age of three but is continually refreshed throughout life. It needs to begin many years before someone is old enough to apply for their provisional licence.
“Our survey shows one quarter of 18-24 year olds who have had a crash had crashed within six months of taking their test. We must change this. By the age of 17 attitudes towards driving will already have been largely formed. If teenagers have had interesting and practical road safety education they are less likely to take dangerous risks when they get behind the wheel alone.
“We must also remember that when driving, practical training counts for nothing if the driver is impaired through drink, drugs and driver distractions such as mobile phones.
“Road crashes are not only the leading cause of death and injury for young people in the UK, but also across the world. We need safer drivers in safer cars on safer roads, to reduce these preventable deaths in the UK and across the globe.”