Just 14 percent of young motorists believe driving is the biggest threat to the safety of teenagers – despite road collisions being the single biggest cause of death among teens worldwide.
Research by the AA Charitable Trust said that while the perceived risk of driving has not changed much since 2008 (11 percent), the perception of drugs being the greatest threat to teenagers’ safety has risen from 31 percent to 39 percent since 2008.
It warned that 71 percent of fatal crashes involving young drivers occur on rural roads.
Young drivers (aged 17-to-24) are over-represented in rural crashes by 9 percent relative to all roads, with the over-representation highest for those aged 17 (27 percent) and decreasing with every subsequent year.
Young drivers are also shown to face a higher risk of death (2 percent) or serious injury (15.2 percent) when involved in a crash on a rural road compared to an urban road (0.6 percent and 11.3 percent respectively), the AA added.
“Road crashes are the single biggest killer of teenagers across the world, yet the general perception is that the inside of a car is a relatively safe place for them to be,” said Edmund King, the AA Charitable Trust’s director.
“Understanding how, when and where young people are involved in crashes is vitally important to being able to improve their safety. Our latest research takes an in-depth look at rural roads and the particular and significant risks they pose to young drivers.”
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