An Action Plan to Encourage Safer Driving Amongst Young People

Research from the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) has revealed that age, inexperience and gender are the factors the impact most on the safety of young drivers.

Motorists under the age of 20 years old are more at risk of being involved in a car accident because of their lack of experience behind the wheel. Drivers under the age of 25 years old have an exceptionally high chance of being seriously injured or killed in crashes; and young men are almost twice as likely of being involved in a smash as young women.

A ten-point action plan has been drawn up as a guide for young drivers to try to make the roads safer for them and other users.

1.    Novice motorists need to have a better understanding of driving on a variety of road conditions. Drivers are most at risk driving at night, in poor visibility and poor weather and when on rural roads.

2.    Make learner drivers aware of when, where and why they are most likely to be involved in an incident on the roads. By doing so, it will help to better prepare them to deal with these situations should they occur.

3.    Integrating road safety education into core school curriculum will help young people learn the risks and responsibilities of road users, both as divers or passengers.    

4.    Offer guidance to parents on helping to make their children become safer drivers through extra, supervised driving practice in the family car.

5.    Car insurance companies should recognise that practicing in the family car before taking a test is low risk and so premiums should reflect that accordingly.

6.     The minority of young drivers, mostly males, who are identified as dangerous motorists should go through a corrective education and driver-training programme.

7.    Remove reckless, uninsured and unlicensed young drivers from the roads through the power of police enforcement and the law courts.

8.    Prior to the driving test, an emphasis on training and improvement should be made priority, ensuring it covers the scope of roads and conditions novice drivers will face.

9.    Investment in features such as skid-resistant surfaces and crash barriers will make roads more forgiving on inexperienced drivers and reduce fatalities by removing potentially lethal roadside objects.

10.    Encourage the adoption of new technologies like Electronic Stability Control in new cars, which will ultimately be driven in years to come by new motorists. 

About the Author:

Rochelle Martinez, Freelance Web Content Article Writer for three years.

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Car Insurance, Young Driver