Every day, five people are killed on UK roads, and nearly 80 people are seriously injured. In 2023 alone 1,695 people were killed on roads in the UK. One of the key groups that are disproportionately impacted by this are young drivers and their families.
One in five drivers is involved in a crash within the first year of passing their test and this is mainly due to youth and inexperience. It is drivers aged 17 to 24 who are most at risk. They tend to be more risk-averse, less likely to think about the consequence of their actions, and act more impulsively.
Over the last few months, there has been increased coverage in the press about Graduated Driving Licences (GDL). Road safety campaigners including members of the Forget-Me-Not Families Uniting group are aiming to raise the awareness of the benefits of GDL.
For those who aren’t familiar with GDL, it’s a progressive licensing system that aims to safeguard young drivers and everyone they share the roads with. It includes elements such as:
- A minimum learning period
- Restrictions on driving at night
- Restrictions on the number of peer-age passengers.
Similar systems have been introduced in other countries, and it is widely regarded as a very effective way to help reduce the number of crashes involving young drivers.
I have seen first-hand the devasting impact that serious injuries and deaths on our roads cause, made all the worse by the fact that so many of these could have been avoided. I sincerely hope that the Government approves the introduction of GDL here as this should go a long way to helping significantly reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our roads.
This blog was written for Road Safety Week 2024. The theme is After the crash – Every road victim counts. Click here to find out more and sign up to take part.
Views expressed in blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Brake, the road safety charity, or its employees.
Irwin Mitchell
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors are one of the UK’s most respected and successful law firms, with an independent recognised personal injury team. We help support our clients with their claims after a road traffic collision as well as their families to help them access the best possible medical care, rehabilitation and financial support reaching an outcome that can make a real difference to their lives. Each year our personal injury lawyers also help bereaved families, who rely on us to fight fearlessly to protect their best interests and to try and gain justice for them in the most difficult of situations.
Claire Newstead
Partner, Irwin Mitchell
Claire Newstead manages the Polytrauma section of the serious injury team in Irwin Mitchell's Leeds office, specialising in acting for clients who have been seriously injured as a result of road crashes and accidents at work.