To coincide with Road Safety Week, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has published new research showing overwhelming public backing for radical new proposals to help stop young people dying or being seriously injured on our roads.
According to the ABI, the single biggest cause of accidental death of young people aged 15-24 is dying in a car. Figures show that in 2011, 5419 people were killed or seriously injured as a result of accidents involving at least one young car driver, and 40% of 17-year-old males have an accident in their first six months of driving.
Around 3700 people of all age groups were surveyed by YouGov on proposals to change the current approach to learning to drive. The survey found that:
- 76% agreed that there should be restrictions on young drivers after passing their driving test,
- 71% supported restricting the number of young passengers that newly qualified young drivers are allowed to carry,
- 57% agreed with a minimum 12-month learning period before taking the driving test to enable young drivers to gain more supervised practice,
- 60% supported changes to the driving test and the way in which it is conducted,
- 60% of people asked thought that a combination of all four proposals would be effective in helping to make young drivers safer on the roads, and
- 58% supported a restriction on night-time driving (11pm-4am) for newly qualified young drivers.