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Road traffic accident statistics tend to suggest that younger drivers, i.e. those under the age of twenty-five, tend to be more accident prone than older drivers. One of the reasons younger drivers may be more accident prone than those who’ve been driving for years is a lack of attention. When a young person passes their test and gets their first car, they are far more likely than older first time drivers, to take friends along on the trip. The key here is, as a young driver, to recognise that there is an issue, and stay safe by acknowledging it and dealing with it.
The main problem is that when young people drive about with friends, they tend to pay less attention to the actual driving. Because young drivers have a higher than average accident rate, they are more likely to face higher insurance premiums than older and more experienced drivers.
Lack of Experience
One of the problems for younger drivers is that they sometimes lack the requisite experience to deal with some situations on the road. Motorway driving in particular can be a problem for young drivers, who may not be up to speed with the way things work on busy highways. Young male drivers, especially those who are out to impress their friends, may drive too fast. They don’t have the experience to know that driving at speed means the driver must pay greater attention to what everyone else on the road is doing. A young driver may lack the experience to realise how quickly some people change lanes on the motorway, and this can lead to an accident if they don’t react in time.
Driving Late at Night
Inexperienced drivers may not realise how much tiredness can affect a person’s reaction time, which can cause problems. Younger drivers may not have had much experience of driving late at night when visibility is lower and it’s not so easy to see danger spots. A good number of young drivers tend to drive at speed when it is late and there doesn’t appear to be much traffic about. The problem with this is that they may not have time to react to a particular situation, which could result in an accident.
Over Confidence
Studies show that after they have been driving for a while, many young drivers can be over confident in their abilities. They fail to realise that more experienced drivers don’t simply know how to handle a car better, they are far more likely to know how to react in difficult conditions.
Recognising Conditions
While a young driver may have sufficient experience and knowledge to have passed their test, they may not have been tutored in how to react in different weather conditions, or when traffic is heavy. They may not have been taught or shown that weather conditions can affect driving, nor how they should react in certain situations.
It may seem that everyone is critical of younger drivers, but that’s because people who have been driving for a long time recognise the need for greater care and attention when you’re on the road. While the accident figures for young drivers continue to be high, it seems unlikely that insurers will lower their premium rates.
