Junctions - the young driver’s blind spot?

Young male drivers cope better at busy junctions than young females, according to figures released today by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) to mark European Road Safety Day.

The most common accident for a young driver in an urban area is at a junction. Forty three per cent of young men and 46 per cent of young women struggle to cope with busy intersections in towns and cities.

The IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) is using European Road Safety Day to call on parents, the education system and insurance industry to play their part in educating young motorists on the hazards of city driving.

Kevin Delaney, IAM Head of Road Safety said: “The majority of young drivers have the right attitude to driving but aren’t fully prepared for dealing with more complicated junctions, which they may not have come across in order to pass their driving test.”
Earlier this year the IAM report ‘Young drivers – where and when they are unsafe’ highlighted three areas in which young drivers could be helped by those with more experience. The report analysed almost a quarter of a million collisions over a seven year period.

Parents: encourage teenagers to undertake an advanced driver training programme, and accompany them on drives, both before and after they have passed their test, to give them experience of a wide variety of road layouts and junctions. Ideally this additional driving experience should be a condition for accessing the family car.

The education system: Integrate road safety education into core school curriculum subjects so young people develop a self-taught awareness of the risks and responsibilities of using the road as a driver, rider or passenger.

The insurance industry: Recognise the benefits of additional driving practice with a parent and set insurance premiums to encourage parents to allow their children practice in the family car.

European Road Safety Day, 13 October 2008, has the theme this year of ‘safety in our cities.’