Teen drivers admit driving on drink or drugs

One in five 17-18 year-old drivers (19%) admits drink-driving and one in fourteen (7%) drives on drugs, according to a survey released today by national road safety charity Brake and leading motor insurer Co-operative Insurance (CIS).

The UK-wide survey revealed that young people are not only gambling with their own lives, but that of their peers: a third (32%) of the 3,118 teens surveyed said they had been a passenger with a drunk or drugged driver.

Latest Government figures show that everyday four 17-18 year-old car occupants are killed or seriously injured in crashes in Great Britain - 10% of all car occupants killed and seriously injured.

Last month, Brake backed a report from the Parliament’s influential Transport Select Committee (TSC), which recommended a raft of Government measures to prevent young driver crashes. With indications that a consultation paper could be published as early as this autumn proposing a revamp of driver training and testing and a zero alcohol limit for newly-qualified drivers. Government statistics show that per mile driven, drivers aged 17-19 are 14 times more likely to be involved in a drink-drive crash resulting in injury than 35-49 year-olds.

The shocking survey results and death toll have prompted leading insurer CIS to back Brake’s calls for Government action on young driver safety and to call on the insurance industry to work together to examine ways to incentivise novice drivers following the introduction of a system of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). GDL, supported by the Association of British Insurers and introduced in several other countries, features many of the measures recently recommended by the TSC. GDL breaks the learning to drive process into stages, and typically includes restrictions on novice drivers to limit exposure to high-risk situations, such as a ban on carrying young passengers and zero alcohol limit.

Brake and CIS are also backing the TSC’s recommendation that road safety and driver education become part of the National Curriculum, to help address the attitudes of teenagers towards driving before they start learning to drive.

Brake in partnership with CIS are already going into schools and colleges with their ‘Too Young to Die’ survival guide (voted 2007 Corporate Social Responsibility project of the year at this year’s British Insurance Awards), which spells out the deadly risks of drink and drugged driving, speeding and not belting up. The comprehensive FREE pack for educators includes a hard-hitting DVD and accompanying booklets, both supported by CIS, plus a Department for Transport-backed PowerPoint. (Follow links to view both the booklet and clips of the DVD).

Brake and CIS’s message to young drivers is simple: never drink or take drugs and drive – not even one drink or one joint. As well as showing young people the effects of drink and drugs on driving and the tragic consequences of driving impaired, the Too Young to Die pack also includes information about the dangers of driving the morning after drinking. Click here for the facts on how long different drinks stay in your system, contained in the pack.

As well as calling for GDL, both Brake and CIS would welcome the following measures to tackle drink and drugged driving:

A lower drink drive limit for ALL drivers, from the current 80mg per 100ml of blood to a maximum of 50mg per 100ml of blood, in line with EU recommendations, or ideally to 20mg per 100ml of blood;

Targeted, roadside drink-drive testing (at the moment, the police can only test drivers following a moving traffic offence or if they have reason to believe a driver has been drinking);

Greater investment in dedicated traffic police, which have been falling in number.

Development and type-approval of a drug-testing device that can be used effectively by police at the roadside, in random tests.

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: “Every day young drivers kill and seriously injure themselves and others through a deadly combination of inexperience and taking risks like drink and drug driving. Brake and CIS’s Too Young to Die campaign is promoting life-saving messages to teenagers – such as the fact that even small amounts of alcohol or drugs can have catastrophic consequences behind the wheel. But decisive Government action to tackle young driver crashes is long overdue. We are demanding that the Government moves forward with an overhaul of driver training and testing, and introduces graduated driver licensing, which has been highly effective in cutting casualties in other countries. We also need compulsory road safety education in schools and much greater investment in traffic policing, to show that driving that threatens lives will not be tolerated.”

David Neave, CIS Director of General Insurance, said: “Clearly too many young drivers are risking their lives and the lives of others by driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs. More needs to be done to educate young drivers on the horrific consequences this can have on people’s lives. Both the introduction of road safety education into the national curriculum and the introduction of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) would play an important role in reducing the death toll. As a responsible insurer our role isn’t just about picking up the pieces when dealing with the resultant claims. Our message is clear – let’s stop the growing number of fatalities by sending out the message that even one drink or a relatively small amount of drugs in your system is too much. Young drivers need to act responsibly and not bow to peer pressure. The decision not to drive on drink or drugs could be the most important decision you will ever make”.