Up to triple the chances of a car accident for young drivers

Drivers aged 16-24 have twice to three times the risk of being involved in an accident compared to more experienced drivers. When a young driver is killed in these accidents, about 1.3 people who are currently in the car, in another vehicle or at the scene of the accident are killed. Young driver accidents are different from those of more experienced drivers, as they occur at night with or without the involvement of another vehicle and come purely from lack of experience.

This is reported by a European Union survey conducted in OASA countries, while these figures do not differ in countries outside the OASA. The most important causes of accidents are lack of control of the car and high speeds. Even the consumption of alcohol in small quantities has a greater impact on young people than on experienced drivers. And of course to point out that road accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24 in OECD countries.

The main factors that expose young drivers to this risk are driving immaturity, lack of experience, some health problems of drivers, but also the lifestyle related to the age and gender of young drivers, such as overnight stay and physical fatigue. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that young men are often overconfident about their driving skills.

Biological research shows that at the age of 18 areas of the human brain that are responsible for integrating information and controlling impulses continue to develop. This has as a consequence their biological development, but also to a very large extent their social development. An important element is that usually at this age they move away from the influences of their parents and gain more independence. As a result, peers are becoming increasingly important to them, especially in lifestyle choices.

Young drivers often drive in high-risk hours and in high-risk conditions. So they drive at night, have increased speed, do not wear seat belts and drive old cars that have less safety features.

Of course, learning to drive requires a lot of practice before you reach high levels. By comparison, driving skills are relatively easy to master in just a few hours, but skills such as anticipating potentially dangerous traffic situations require years of practice. The requirements of the road environment are great and there should be route planning and modifications depending on the data and situations. However, the complexity of driving remains under the control of the driver and his personal choices regarding driving speeds, distances and position. These choices can lead to small or large margins of safety and are based on his personal assessments of his ability to handle these traffic situations.

Inexperienced drivers must first aim for greater safety margins in order to compensate for their lack of experience. In reality, however, the opposite is true and young people usually choose small margins of safety, due to the fact that this age group tends to overestimate their skills and underestimate the complexity of the traffic situation.

Young novice drivers often have problems driving, due to alcohol and drug use, fatigue and distraction. Compared to experienced drivers, alcohol greatly degrades the performance of the young driver. Drug use is increasing in this age group, resulting in an increased risk of accidents. In particular, the combined use of drugs and alcohol leads to extremely high risk of accidents. Young people are also severely affected by sleep deprivation, work duration and when they drive during bedtime. These three factors lead to increased fatigue, which can be recognized as energy loss, decreased reaction and increased chances of falling asleep at the wheel. Distraction as a cause of driving errors is more obvious to beginners than to more experienced ones. In addition, young people often make use of the mobile phone, which reduces their attention while driving.

The countermeasures of immaturity and inexperience must be taken by them. Avoiding alcohol as well as slow speed is the first thing to keep in mind. In addition to these general measures, special measures are required for novice drivers, such as to increase supervised driving.

Possibilities for improvements can be highlighted in the driver training and simulators can be applied, where incorrect status texts will be highlighted. Also during driving learning, in addition to controlling the vehicle, instructors should focus on identifying hazards and avoiding them.