With more and more young drivers dying on the UK roads it is heart breaking?

Ask the chicken

Provisional riders of motorbikes are limited to small engine sizes that do not allow them to go at crazy speeds. I think cars should have the same for the first 2-3 years of your license. It's not the age but the lack of experience in their own ability. Most of the time a fatal accident just becomes a "nearly" accident at lower speeds, and can still get you pretty shaken up.

I saw an accident in a supermarket car park the other day - speed, 5mph, damage minimal, young driver shaking, crying and totally distraught. That's what people need - a bit of reality towards their own driving ability.

Liggy Lee

My first thought was restricting the engines to a specific speed for the first few years of drivers passing their tests...I then realised this wouldn't work, they would need to be able to at least reach 60mph to be safe on motorways, and how would we stop em doing this speed on housing estates and outside schools.

Or maybe part of their test should involve crashing into a wall at low speed to realise its not just a bump. Or to take a visit to their local hospital to see the devastating effects on both the victims and their families, this might give them a shock into realising their own and others immortality.

My cousin was killed by a car last year. A woman was driving at night with a car full of lads, when she hit the kerb and lost control of the car, which flipped and landed on its side. Everyone in the car was fine. My cousin was stood on the kerb, waiting to cross the road with her friend when this car smashed into her, carried her across a roundabaout and threw her into the road. She was killed instantly, her friend was knocked unconcious and had both of his legs broken. When he came around in hospital he had no idea what had happened. The news of my cousins death had to be broken to him several times, each time as heartbreaking and damaging as finding out for the very first time.

The woman driving was in her late 20's. I don't think age has as bigger influence of these statistics as everyone thinks. Many crashes can be influenced by alcohol, drugs, tiredness and lack of concentration.

I am a driver and occasionally I do speed, on motorways, or on quiet roads. It is then that I remember what happened to my cousin and I slow down.

Unless death by speeding affects the driver personally, I don't think anything will make them reconsider at what speed they are driving.

checkmate

Drivers wearing seat belts have a heightened sense of security. Ask any taxidriver how he feels when he doesn't wear one compared to when he does. I think that if passengers had to wear belts but the driver was prevented from doing so, they would drive more cautiously and take more care to learn from their mistakes. It is also said that a ten inch spike protruding from the centre of the steering wheel would improve driving standards.

Chazza xx Baba due 4/11/09

I am 23 and only been driving 6 months - but i have found the drivers to speed the most are middle-aged men - especially taxi drivers.

I tend to stick to the speed limit - but find myself being 'pushed' by a number of these drivers. They are quite intimidating - so it isn't just the younger ones - an example should be set!!

Huge

Young men particularly (and some young women) will do daring things regardless of what they are driving, even on bicycles, so it will be very difficult to prevent any accidents happening. I made some horrendous mistakes while driving in my youth but fortunately never had an accident that involved other persons. Over-confidence is the main killer not so much speed, when you are young and fit you do not feel vulnerable. Is there a solution, well not without spending loads of money on young people/drivers and no government can afford that because it will not win votes.

burning brightly

I am on the committee of a Road Safety Council in Australia we run programs aimed at giving more experience for young drivers before they get a licence but allways they still have accidents. we have started impownding cars of hoon drivers. I read recently a letter written by some scientist in England in which he said the frontal lobal of a young person does not fully develop until about 25 and he says this is what causes young people to take risks and it is a human trait placed in us to cause the young person to take such steps as to want to leave the nest being home perhaps there has to be some very differn't thinking applied to solve this problem.

David H

Yes its heartbreaking for their friends and family. But do you remember how exciting it was when you got your first car? Its in a young man`s nature to seek excitment, and driving fast provides that. Nothing we can do except try to persuade them not to drive that way, but I dont think it will work.

katieplatie

Without a doubt the age for a driving license should be raised to 21 but even then, 21 year old lads are prone to showing off to their mates and driving recklessly. It is heartbreaking but I truly don't know what the answer is. I passed my test two weeks ago as a mum of 3 in my thirties. Since driving alone I've become acutely aware of the foolishness of other drivers and the need to pre-empt every move they could potentially make to endanger me. It's sometimes frightening as younger drivers seem to have no fear or concept of danger at all. It's a good question you've asked but I'm afraid I have to admit I don't know the answer.

garfet

Is more legislation the answer? People have to take responsibility for their own safety. I agree that often they don't and they are not the only ones to suffer the dire consequences. An effective enforcement regime, not just more cameras, would seem sensible.
Expensive though...
And it wouldn't stop people driving like idiots when they think they can get away with it.
I think people just imagine the rules don't apply to them (look at the mobile phone ban whilst driving).

FIONA S

it is in the nature of young men to show off ,but it is so very dangerous at the wheel of a powerful car, i live in an area where the youngsters get to drive their daddies expensive powerful cars and i am terrified to take my grandchildren for a walk even though we have wide foot paths. the last car accident i was involved in was a young driver of a car full of boys who misjudged the corner trying to beat the traffic lights and hit the kerb bouncing int us at speed writing off my Saab......not an easy thing to do as Saab's are tough.....i an now very conscious of cars coming round corners.
if we were to raise the age at which they could legally drive they would just break the law.
having said all that there are a lot of very good young drivers with great reflexes who just lack experience.

PollyPocket

there is no real answer to this other than extreme consequences for any reckless driving offenses commited by those who have held a driving license for less than.....say 5 years.

If the age restriction is lifted, then it makes life very difficult. When I was 21 I relied on my car. I had a job and no bus route took me to work, I also had a child with a second on the way and my wife couldn't drive.

Alright!

1) Make the test harder
2) Limit the times they can drive for 4 years after passing the test
3) Immediately suspend the drivers who receive fines for driving offenses (for the young drivers).
4) Make there parents pay an additional fine for not putting there foot down
5) Known trouble makers should be banned from driving until they change there attitude
6) Make them sign up for a drink - register at the local pub.

LEX

The BHP of cars now for new drivers needs to be addressed!!
Time served experience is the only way to handle such horse power, these youngsters are learning by deadly mistakes!!

mikydotcom@btinternet.com

What is the length of time for a test nowadays,half an hour-45 mins?When i took my pcv(bus)test-it was of 90 minutes duration-one and a half hours long.(and next year there is even more strict instruction and more time "in test")Make the test for ordinary car driving more strict,have an hours test also.The responsibility must lie with the driving instructor really,if they think you are good enough to put you in for your test-they put you up for it,however,as you can see,and not just from your stats,but nationwide stats-this simply is just not good enough,people are dying because it is too easy-MAKE IT HARDER,and reduce death on our roads.

JD417

I don't think the answer lies in the training or the safety aspect, i think that the increase in deaths is due to the attitude of our young people now. with alack of structure in their schooling years and their attitude to life, they have no fear. I have a daughter, and some of her friends worry me, I grew up in a different world to this generation and i think that the world i knew and loved has gone I just hope that this generation learn this lesson and correct their children's behaviour.

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