Young Drivers


You've passed the test, got the new wheels and you're ready to drive out and impress your friends. But before you turn that key, consider these facts:

  • A 17 year old male driver is seven times more likely to be involved in an accident than other age groups.

  • If you have just passed your test your reactions could be up to two seconds slower at recognising potential hazards. Those two seconds could be the difference between life and death.

  • Among young people, road accidents are the most common cause of accidental death.

  • One in three males between 17 and 20 have an accident in the first two years after passing the test.

  • The accident rate to novice drivers drops by more than 30 per cent after the first 12 months of licensed driving.

  • In a car crash at 30mph, an adult passenger sitting in the back of a car is thrown forwards with a force of three and a half tons. That's like being hit by an elephant. It's also why it is vital that rear passengers should belt up.


You know the dangers of driving under the influence of drink and drugs. But did you know there is a danger from prescribed pharmaceutical drugs such as asthma and anti-histamine treatments that cause drowsiness and slow down reactions. Before you get behind that wheel, check with your GP if your medication could adversely affect your driving.

The human body suffers horrendous injuries when involved in a high speed collision.

Make sure your bodywork doesn't get modified like this post mortem result:

Body is that of a teenager whose appearance is appropriate to age. Height 165cm and weight 61kgs. The following injuries are noted:


  • Deep lacerations involving scalp tissue each starting anteriorly and extending posteriorly. Sunken left eye with bruising. Multiple facial grazes. Massive bruising to chest. Bruising both hands, most marked on the right. Loss of skin on right forearm. Compound fractures on both upper legs. Multiple abrasions over back with obvious spinal fracture.

  • The heart weighs 220 gms and shows massive disruption.

  • Spleen weighs 78 gms and is massively disrupted.

  • Kidneys: Right weighs 100 gms and shows massive disruption. Left kidney is pale and weighs 152 gms.

  • Skull shows evidence of massive fracture which predominantly involves the right anterior cranial fossa extending to disrupt the pituitary fossa. The underlying brain appears swollen and weighs 1200 gms. There is striking congestion of superficial vessels. On slicing there are diffuse contusions most marked in the mid brain. The ventricular cavities contain blood.


statistical data 2001-2003

Drivers under the age of 20 were involved in:


  • 21 fatal collisions in which 26 young people died, 13 were seriously injured and 12 escaped with slight injuries

  • 195 serious injury accidents in which there were 242 serious injuries and 100 slight injuries

  • In fatal collisions, 8 out of 10 casualties were male

  • In serious collisions, 7 out of 10 casualties were male


Major factors identified in collisions were

  • Loss of control

  • Wrong course positioning

  • Bends

  • Negligent overtaking


Excessive or inappropriate speed is considered a major factor in the collision causes here.

Inexperience causes young drivers to overestimate their ability to control their vehicles at high speed.

When finding themselves in trouble they lack the skill to recover.