Inexperienced drivers are at risk

Statistics show that young drivers aged under 21 years are involved in 3 times more crashes than drivers aged 21 years or more.

An obvious reason for this is that young drivers have had less time and fewer opportunities to develop the good hazard perception skills we all need to drive safely.

Some young drivers also knowingly take risks, probably because they have not yet had personal experience of the consequences of a casualty crash (a crash where someone is killed or injured).

The related pages linked the five most common crash types and main risk factors facing provisional drivers. Knowing what these are helps you understand what you need to practise to improve your hazard perception skills.

Risk factors

The most likely reasons for a provisional driver to be involved in a crash are:

• Travelling too closely behind other vehicles.
• Driving too fast for the conditions.
• Not looking far enough ahead when driving.
• Choosing gaps that are too small when making turns, crossing intersections or overtaking.