Young drivers crash most on Scottish roads

A huge proportion of all Scottish road accidents involve newly qualified motorists, according to research.

Statistics from safety campaigner New to the Road show that almost half of accidents on Scotland’s roads involved new and young drivers, with 49% involving motorists who have been driving for less than three years.

In addition, six in 10 drivers in this age bracket admitted to have broken road laws.

The group believes that these numbers underline the reasons why young drivers are so often charged such large amounts for car insurance premiums.

The RAC however, has used to findings to reiterate their belief that the problem can only truly be combatted by better driving education and an overhaul of the driving test.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "Sadly these figures are not surprising - younger drivers are considered a greater risk on the roads, and that is reflected in the relatively high insurance premiums they have to pay.

"Tackling the problem requires two things. Firstly, education for young people around driving should start before they get behind the wheel of a car. In some countries, that training begins in schools and that is a model that we should be considering in the UK. Secondly, the driving test needs to be brought up to date - research conducted for the RAC Report on Motoring found that 35% of drivers didn't feel the current test covered all the skills required to cope with the demands of driving today.”

One in 17 new motorists believe that their accidents could have been prevented with a better understanding safety features such as ABS anti-locking brakes.

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