Action needed to stop young drivers' deaths (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Action needed to stop young drivers' deaths

August 31, 2006 11:02 AM

Crushed van / car following accident Welsh Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson, Kirsty Williams, has expressed her concern at the number of young drivers involved in road crashes in Wales.

Figures released today show drivers aged 17 to 25 were between four and five times more likely to be involved in a crash than older drivers, with young male drivers being over six times more likely to be in a crash. Four in ten fatal or serious crashes involved young drivers, even though they make up less than 10 per cent of the driving population.

Ms Williams said: "Any road crash is a matter of concern, and any road death is a tragedy, but those involving young drivers are particularly poignant. These figures clearly show drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 to be particularly at risk, and the historical data shows this vulnerability to have remained unchecked for a number of years. This sends a clear message; much more must be done to safeguard the lives of our young people.

"Schemes such as PassPlus Cymru offer valuable additional training once individuals have passed their driving test, but the cost of this training is off-putting to many young people. A radical overhaul of how we train and examine drivers, with serious consideration given to graduated licensing, must now be undertaken."

Notes:

Motorised Vehicle Accidents Involving Drivers Aged 17 to 25 was published today by the National Assembly for Wales' Statistical directorate, and is available to view online at http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/40382313/403824/transport/trans-2006/sb55-2006.pdf?lang=en .

Pass Plus Cymru is a course aimed at improving the driving skills of young people, and involves additional training being undertaken in the 12 months after passing the driving test. It is subsidised by the Welsh Assembly Government, but still costs around £40.

Graduated licences allow drivers to build up their skills and experience in gradual stages, and already exist in many countries, including New Zealand, New South Wales, and some American states. They typically involve restrictions around night-time driving, speed, and number and age of passengers. In New Zealand, they found the introduction of graduated licences reduced car crash injuries by 23 per cent for 15-19 year olds and 12 per cent for 20-24 year olds.