Dangerous driving among young people on the rise
Young drivers aged between 17-25 account for 38% of all new dangerous driving endorsements despite making up just seven per cent of full licence holders.
This is according to road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, which analysed DVLA data obtained via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
It found that drivers aged between 17-25 were issued with 27% (1,585) of all dangerous driving endorsements issued in 2021. By 2023 this had increased 36% (1,928), and the ratio has risen again this year to 38% (1,128).
Meanwhile, drivers aged between 26-65 accounted for 72% of new endorsements in 2021, 63% in 2023 and 60% to date this year.
Drivers over 66 were responsible for just one per cent of dangerous driving endorsements between 2021 and 2024.
Dangerous driving
IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes said: “Something is going awry with driving standards among younger drivers when they now account for well over a third of all new dangerous driving endorsements while at the same time making up a small proportion of overall licence holders.
“A form of graduated driver licensing (GDL) should now be considered as part of an updated road safety strategy. We strongly believe that training, upskilling, and wider experience will foster better responsibility and decision making which will make our roads safer.
“However, this should not be the end of it: By extending the learning period and introducing a probationary period, younger drivers themselves must reap the financial benefit of reduced motor insurance premiums and the Chancellor can play a significant role by waiving insurance premium tax on policies that have been taken out through a GDL scheme or a similar training course.
“We maintain our call for social media companies to take more immediate action by promptly taking down uploaded content where law-breaking is being caught on a mobile phone in a moving vehicle.”
