Report by the AA highlights that young drivers are at higher risk on UK roads and discusses whether it is appropriate to place tighter restrictions on young people.
A report published by the AA today provides some concerning statistics highlighting how young people are statistically at much greater risk on UK roads.
Unfortunately, those who work in Catastrophic injury civil litigation, whether acting for claimants, defendants, or insurers, will not be surprised by the statistics showing that young people are at greater risk of injury, but especially at greater risk of life-changing or fatal injuries.
The AA report is published here today: young-drivers-at-risk.pdf (theaa.com), and covered in national media such as the BBC. The data quoted was collated over a decade ago. It is likely that the statistics showing that road traffic accidents have a disproportionate impact on young people have worsened further, especially following the spike in serious road traffic accidents in the 12–18 month period after the UK came out of the covid restrictions.
In the UK there are already restrictions on new drivers; in the first two years after passing their test, new drivers lose their licence if they acquire six penalty points, rather than 12 points for more experienced drivers.
The report by the AA moots whether it may be appropriate to place further restrictions on young people. Of course, we must balance the rights of young people against the priority of making our roads safer for all road users. Young people also study/work, and may need a car to access employment.
In the UK, teenagers can drive legally at 17 years. Many countries allow driving at 15 or 16 years, but impose restrictions on these drivers (such as driving late in the evening and/or with friends).
There are debates about imposing similar restrictions here in the UK. Some of the countries with a driving age of 18 introduce incentives to allow young drivers to get more practice before gaining a licence. However, it should be borne in mind that most serious crashes involving younger drivers are not from momentary mistakes, but rather driving unsafely/at speed in an attempt to impress their peers.
Driving while intoxicated also has a disproportionate impact on young people. It is not just an issue in terms of young drivers, but more often as passengers, sadly all too often with devastating consequences.
The AA advocates for providing early driver training combining practical lessons with classroom-based road safety lessons to instil a responsible attitude towards driving in young people.
There is growing public debate on whether there should be further driving restrictions on new drivers in the UK, to save more young lives on the road. Recent evidence suggests that a policy enacted in Australia banning first-year drivers from carrying two or more passengers under the age of 21 at night reduced multi-passenger crashes at nighttime by 57%, casualties by 50%, and hospitalisations and fatalities by 58%.
In the UK, over 20% of new drivers are involved in a crash within the first 12 months of passing their test. Ultimately the fact that young and inexperienced drivers make more frequent motor insurance claims, and crucially, also more costly claims has an impact on new drivers’ motor insurance premiums.
As in all aspects of our modern life, there are improvements in vehicle safety and changes designed to help prevent accidents such as:
- Breathalyser tests to start the car
- Black boxes and telematics car insurance, to track and improve driving habits
- eCall SOS
- AI enabled dash cams which can monitor unsafe driving behaviours such as speeding, harsh braking and tailgating, alerting drivers in real-time and pre-emptively stopping accidents from happening in the first place
Ultimately, while there have been concerns raised in relation to the safety of autonomous vehicles, it may be that a future involving driverless cars also saves more young lives.
For more information on the risks or young UK drivers, contact our catastrophic personal injury solicitors.
