HALF OF ROAD COLLISIONS IN SCOTLAND OCCUR WITHIN FIRST THREE YEARS OF DRIVING

16th March 2015

‘New to the Road' campaign launches today, to help improve young driver safety in Scotland - www.newtotheroad.co.uk - with events at schools across Scotland

46% of Scottish motorists have had a collision

Around half of these incidents occurred when the driver was still new to the road1

A fifth of motorists involved in a collision say it could have been avoided with more road experience

60% admit to breaking the law within their first few years of driving

Almost half (49%) of road collisions in Scotland involve motorists who are still within their first three years of driving, according to research for a new road safety campaign targeting young drivers.

The study was conducted for the launch of the ‘New to the Road' campaign, set up to improve the safety of young motorists in Scotland. The campaign is backed by a number of high profile motoring organisations including Kwik Fit, RED Driving School, Brake, the road safety charity, Kwik Fit Insurance and Goodyear. The campaign is also being supported by Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt who is new to the road herself, having recently passed her driving test.

According to the research, 46% of drivers in Scotland have been involved in a road collision at some point and half (49%) of these occurred whilst they were still new to the road.

Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, one in five (20%) Scottish motorists who have had a collision say it could have been avoided with more driving experience. A further 6% think their accident could have been prevented if they’d known more about the safety features on their vehicle such as anti-lock braking systems.

The New to the Road study also highlights a number of worrying driving practices amongst Scottish motorists within their first three years of getting behind the wheel, with 60% admitting to breaking the law. Despite being a new road user, one in 10 admitted to driving above 100mph, 12% to regularly driving without a seatbelt and 9% to skipping red lights. Tailgating (8%) and regularly exceeding the speed limit (8%) were also frequently cited.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: "The incidence of collisions amongst new road users in Scotland is worryingly high and the fact that drivers themselves admit many of these crashes could have been avoided means there’s plenty of scope to improve this situation.

"We are supporting the New to the Road campaign as it will specifically target motorists in their first few years of driving, to equip them with additional skills and knowledge that will help ensure they are as safe on the road as they can be."

The New to The Road campaign launched this week to mark the month in which Scottish year five students start to turn 17 and take to the road for the first time. The New to the Road team is holding a series of safety events at schools and colleges across Scotland to give those students practical advice at first hand. In addition, the New to the Road website (www.newtotheroad.co.uk) will serve as an online resource where young drivers – and their parents - can find information and support.

Nina Nesbitt commented: “We shouldn’t think that once we’ve got our full licence that’s it – we need to keep focused to stay safe on the roads. I know there’s still so much to learn even though I’ve passed my test, which is why the support and information new drivers can get through the New to the Road campaign is so important. There’s no substitute for experience but being prepared and informed is a great start."

Young drivers remain disproportionately likely to be involved in a road accident compared to other road users - in Scotland each week, one young person is killed in a road accident and 17 are seriously injured

Joe Burns, a spokesperson for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Research shows that the combination of youth and inexperience puts younger drivers at high risk. Their inexperience means they have less ability to spot hazards, and their youth means they are particularly likely to take risks. That’s why we are supporting the New to the Road campaign – any steps we can take to improve the awareness and knowledge of young drivers will be to everyone’s benefit.”