RAC calls on young drivers to Take Control
26 July 2010
Young drivers continue to take unacceptable risks on the road, despite recognising the danger associated with their behaviour, figures from the latest RAC survey have revealed.
More than half of the respondents to the RAC young driver survey admitted to texting, emailing or using the internet while driving yet they rate it as one of the top three causes of serious crashes.
Almost 70 per cent of respondents said they drive more than 10km/h over the speed limit.
One in 10 said they drive while drunk and three quarters drive while fatigued. Almost three quarters of respondents believe their age group is responsible for the most crashes.
The results of the survey have come as the RAC launches its Take Control campaign which aims to create safer young drivers on WA’s roads through targeted education and interaction with young drivers and their parents.
Between 2007 and 2009, 137 drivers aged between 17 and 24 died on Western Australia’s roads*.
RAC Head of Member Advocacy Matt Brown said young people are over represented in the state’s crash statistics.
“17 to 24 year olds account for about one third of all serious and fatal crashes despite only making up about 14 per cent of the driving population.” Mr Brown said.
“It is horrifying that young people are admitting they know what they’re doing is putting lives at risk but they continue to do it.
“They need to understand the consequences of their actions and that they are not invincible on the road.”
Mr Brown said the high number of young drivers dying or being seriously injured on our roads remained a huge community concern.
“It’s simply not acceptable that so many young people die on our roads,” he said.
“That’s why the RAC is launching its Take Control campaign to change the attitudes and behaviours of young drivers.
“Half of the young drivers surveyed said better education and training was the key to improving road safety which is why our campaign focuses on giving young drivers and their parents the knowledge they need to stay safe on the road.”
Almost 70 per cent of young drivers said their parents had the biggest influence on the way they drive.
“If we can empower parents with the skills and knowledge they need about being a safer driver, they can then pass that good behaviour onto their children,” Mr Brown said.
In a bid to provide vital information for parents, the Take Control campaign will be launched in conjunction with the RAC’s Community Education team’s Keys for Life workshop at the RAC Driving Centre.
The workshop gives vital information to parents and supervisors of learner drivers. It is a joint initiative between the RAC and SDERA (School Drug Education and Road Aware).
In addition to the workshop, driving instructors from the RAC Driving Centre will be teaching participants about the eight safe steps to driving; introduction to the vehicle, driving posture, starting up and moving off, stopping the vehicle, changing gears, manoeuvring, slow speed manoeuvring and communicating.
The Take Control campaign will also include:
- road safety presentations in schools to improve the education and awareness of students before they start driving;
- regional community visits to ensure young drivers outside of the metropolitan area have the skills and knowledge needed;
- the RAC’s road safety competition FAME, which asks high school students to design a road safety advertisement for their peers and encourages them to discuss important issues with their friends;
- an easy to understand safety rating system for used cars which are commonly bought by young drivers as their first vehicle.
“Education and building community awareness of safe driving behaviours is a key component of the RAC’s road safety advocacy message,” Mr Brown said.
For the duration of the Take Control campaign, RAC members will also be able to receive a 25 per cent discount on driver training courses at the RAC Driving Centre.
Results from the RAC young driver survey:
- 49% believe more training and education is the solution to improving road safety;
- 17% think the overall driving standard in Western Australia is poor or very poor;
- 72% believe their age group is responsible for the most crashes;
- 44% speak on the phone while driving;
- 69% drive more than 10km/hr over the speed limit;
- Driving while under the influence of drugs was seen as the greatest risk of causing a serious accident rating 9.4 out of 10.
*According to WA Police statistics
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