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Co-op Insurance has created dramatic crash test video to highlight the effects of failing to wear seatbelts.
According to road safety charity Brake, one of the most common behaviours among young drivers is not wearing seatbelts.
Co-op research reveals that two fifths (41%) of drivers aged 17-24 have been involved in a road traffic incident where they were the driver.
Most common young driver behaviours
- Speeding
- Drink and drug driving
- Not wearing a seatbelt
- Use of mobile phones
- Other passengers in the car
The Co-op study, which was conducted among 1,000 UK drivers aged 17-24, also shows that for almost a third (29%) their incident happened between one and six months of them passing their driving test, while a further sixth (15%) had an accident within their first year of driving.
Almost a tenth (7%) of those drivers involved in an incident described it as a serious collision, a sixth (15%) said it was a minor collision and a fifth (19%) described the incident as a ‘bump.’
When delving into the reasons for young driver incidents, two fifths (40%) said the other driver was at fault. A fifth (20%) said they misjudged the amount of room they had and over a tenth (13%) admitted to not paying attention to the road.
| Reason for incident | % of young drivers | |
| 1 | Other driver was at fault | 40% |
| 2 | Misjudged the amount of room I had | 20% |
| 3 | I wasn’t paying attention | 13% |
| 4 | I lost control of the car | 11% |
| 5 | I was looking at my phone | 10% |
“With 40% of young drivers being involved in road traffic incidents it’s vital that we continue to engage younger and future drivers on the importance of prioritising safety when choosing a vehicle,” said James Hillon of Co-op Insurance.
” We hope our crash test video will bring to life one of the most common young driver behaviours, and the dangers associated with this.”
Mike Bristow, of Brake road safety charity added: “Co-op’s research paints a worrying picture. We see year after year young drivers making up the highest proportion of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
“More needs to be done to make young and perhaps inexperienced drivers understand that risky and dangerous behaviour behind the wheel can have serious consequences.”
