The AA finds road crashes are a leading cause of death in teenagers
11 June 2021
The AA Charitable Trust has found that, despite road crashes being a leading cause of death in teenagers globally, just 14 per cent of motorists believe that driving is the greatest threat to the safety of teenagers above drugs, guns and knife crime.
These findings follow the launch of the AA charitable trust’s interactive map, which highlights the ‘riskiest’ roads for young drivers.
Statistics from the Department for Transport show that in the UK, 2,223 17-to-19-year-olds were killed or seriously injured in road crashes throughout 2020.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) website says that “road injuries are a top cause of death in adolescents, disproportionately affecting boys.
“In 2015, road injuries were the leading cause of adolescent death among 10–19-year-olds, resulting in approximately 115,000 adolescent deaths. Older adolescent boys aged 15–19 years experienced the greatest burden. Most young people killed in road crashes are vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists”.
Edmund King OBE, AA Charitable Trust director, said: “Road crashes are the single biggest killer of teenagers across the world, yet the general perception is that the inside of a car is a relatively safe place for them to be.
“Understanding how, when and where young people are involved in crashes is vitally important to being able to improve their safety.
“Our latest research takes an in-depth look at rural roads and the particular and significant risks they pose to young drivers.
“It is heart-breaking to hear about young people who have died in crashes, but we hope that by celebrating Caitlin’s life in a special radio show, we will be able to raise awareness of the dangers rural roads pose to young drivers.”
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