Young male drivers cope better at busy junctions than young females, according to figures released today by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) to mark European Road Safety Day.
The most common accident for a young driver in an urban area is at a junction.Forty three per cent of young men and 46 per cent of young women struggle to cope with busy intersections in towns and cities.
The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is using European Road Safety Day to call on parents, the education system and insurance industry to play their part in educating young motorists on the hazards of city driving.
Kevin Delaney, IAM Head of Road Safety said: “The majority of young drivers have the right attitude to driving but aren’t fully prepared for dealing with more complicated junctions, which they may not have come across in order to pass their driving test.”
Earlier this year the IAM report ‘Young drivers – where and when they are unsafe’ highlighted three areas in which young drivers could be helped by those with more experience.The report analysed almost a quarter of a million collisions over a seven year period.
Parents: encourage teenagers to undertake an advanced driver training programme, and accompany them on drives, both before and after they have passed their test, to give them experience of a wide variety of road layouts and junctions.Ideally this additional driving experience should be a condition for accessing the family car.
The education system:Integrate road safety education into core school curriculum subjects so young people develop a self-taught awareness of the risks and responsibilities of using the road as a driver, rider or passenger.
The insurance industry: Recognise the benefits of additional driving practice with a parent and set insurance premiums to encourage parents to allow their children practice in the family car.
European Road Safety Day, 13 October 2008, has the theme this year of ‘safety in our cities.’
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Media contacts
IAM Media Relations – 0208 996 9777
Kevin Delaney, IAM Head of Road Safety – 0208 996 9772 kevin.delaney@iamtrust.org.uk
ISDN broadcast lines available
www.iam.org.uk
Notes for editor:
‘Young drivers – where and when they are unsafe’is available at www.iamtrust.org.ukand can be downloaded.The report reveals where, when and why many young drivers die or are seriously injured on the roads compared with drivers aged over 25. The study compares drivers between 17 and 70inan analysis of almost a quarter of a million KSI collisions between 2000 and 2006.
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1. The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) directly influences the driving and riding of more than 160,000 road users a year (full members, associates and commercial clients) in the UK and Ireland. Established in 1956, the IAM is today best known for the advanced driving test and the advanced driving course. The IAM has grown to become the UK’s leading road safety charity, dedicated to raising driving standards, engaging with the road-using public and influencing road safety policy. IAM Fleet, the corporate arm of the IAM, has two subsidiary companies, Drive & Survive and Fleet Ireland.
2. A 2006 report by Brunel University, following an 18 month study, concluded that “advanced driver training produces safer drivers and lower accident involvement”, with measurable improvements in knowledge, skills and attitude.
3. In January 2007, the IAM Motoring Trust was established as the research and advocacy arm of the IAM. The IAM Motoring Trust will undertake research, promote practical policies, act as an advocate for safer roads, safer drivers and safer vehicles and encourage responsible motoring through education and training.
