LIFESTYLE YOUNG DRIVERS
safer driving
Teen tips for
O
ne in fi ve drivers crashes within six months of passing their test. An 18-year-old driver is three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 48 year old. Statistics like these are every parent’s nightmare
and the reason why young drivers’ insurance premiums are so high, but not only can premiums be reduced, there are ways in which our children can be persuaded to drive more safely. According to research carried out last year by Aviva, the
largest insurance provider in the UK, peer pressure, not wearing seatbelts and poor training are major contributory factors to critical accidents involving young drivers. “The driving test has got harder, but it’s still not good enough to protect young drivers,” argues Ellen Booth, a campaign offi cer for Brake, the road safety charity. Brake proposes a graduated licensing scheme which would allow novice drivers to build up their driving skills and experience gradually, over three stages. This includes a learner period for a minimum of 12 months; a novice period of two years, during which time there would be restrictions placed on the driver such as not driving late at night; and a compulsory curriculum education on the dangers of driving. Extending the learner period has reduced crashes in other
parts of the world. A 2006 report called Young Drivers: The Road to Safety, carried out by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation, found an eight per cent reduction in new driver fatalities in New Zealand, a nine per cent reduction in Florida,
WWW.FIRSTELEVENMAGAZINE.CO.UK
Help is on hand for young drivers, with improved
advice on how to drive safely and new ways to reduce insurance premiums. Emily Jenkinson explains
12 per cent in Quebec and 24 per cent in Ontario. Last year, the AAA Foundation for Traffi c Safety confi rmed that 16-year- old drivers in America were involved in 40 per cent fewer crashes if their state had a graduated licensing programme. But until such legislation comes into
force in the UK, how can young drivers reduce their chances of an accident? Research from the USA suggests that parental attitudes infl uence their child’s behaviour when it comes to driving. Exerting some conditions and control over a teenager’s driving can reduce risk. The mother of a 16-year-old boy who can’t wait to start driving said that she and her husband won’t let him have his own car until he’s left school. They will also impose limits, including restricting him to only one friend in the car when he’s driving and stopping him taking lifts with inexperienced driver friends. “I know that will mean that I’ve got to drive him everywhere, but those fi rst 18 months are crucial,” she says. A spokesperson for the Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
adds that, “It is a lack of independent driving experience rather than age which is the dominant factor in the number of accidents involving new drivers.” To combat this, the
16-year-old drivers in America were involved in 40 per cent fewer crashes if their state had a graduated licensing programme
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SUMMER 2010 FIRST ELEVEN 67
PHOTO:
ISTOCKPHOTO, LUDOVIC RHODES
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