Young Drivers – Where and when they are unsafe

Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world. But our success in driving down deaths and injuries is overshadowed by the fact that younger drivers are not getting safer.

Where and when they are most at risk is the subject of this comprehensive analysis of seven years of crash data that the IAM Trust commissioned from road safety researcher Jean Hopkin. The results point to some practical steps needed to turn younger drivers into safer drivers.

The IAM’s prime road safety role is to raise driving and riding standards. Safe drivers are not born, they are made. Skilled tuition, lots of supervised driving experience prior to the test, awareness of the risks and how to manage them safely – these are all essential ingredients for developing more effective driver training and testing.

There is currently no higher road safety priority than preparing young people to drive safely on their own, and with passengers, after their test. Central to this is the need to help them acquire not only the right skills but the right attitudes for driving safely.