Speeding youngsters 'the biggest threat to van drivers'
Wednesday 30 June 2010 Back to Blog
Reckless young drivers are placing other road users at risk, a new study suggests.
Speeding young drivers are one of the biggest menaces facing van leasing customers on UK roads, the findings of a new study suggest.
Of those British youngsters polled by Brake in partnership with FedEx Express, more than half revealed that they have been a passenger in a car being driven at more than 70mph on a rural road.
In addition, around one in four said that they have raced on a public road, either as a passenger or as a driver, while one in ten under-24s admitted to having overtaken another vehicle at speed when they couldn't see what was coming in the other direction.
On the back of the findings, Brake has stepped up its calls for the government to introduce A Graduating Driver Licensing (GDL) system, which would see young people learning how to drive in stages.
According to the charity, such a move would help youngsters develop a greater awareness of the risks of reckless driving, thereby keeping both themselves and other road users safe.
"Many young people get a thrill from driving fast with their friends in the car, but because of the way young people's brains develop, they often don't yet have the ability to control their thrill-seeking tendencies," noted Ellen Booth, Brake campaigns officer.
Brake is among the campaigning groups backing calls for a 20mph speed limit to be introduced in towns and villages.