For most teens, getting their full license is a mark of pride and a big step on the way to becoming a fully fledged adult. However, as a parent you have an important role to teach your teen to be a safe and responsible driver before they hit the roads.
It’s an unfortunate fact that younger drivers tend to be more at risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident. According to the The George Institute Young Driver Fact Base, injury is the single biggest cause of death in Australian youth and 45 per cent of these fatalities are due to road crashes.
Hospital data for young Australians supports this statement, with drivers involved in a road traffic incident making up almost half the amount of hospitalisations in this group. Young drivers between 17-25 years of age make up one-quarter of all Australian road deaths, but they represent just 10-15 per cent of the total number of licensed drivers in Australia.
Males in the 17-25 year old age group are also more at risk than females. One-third of all speeding drivers and passengers involved in fatal crashes are males in this category, compared to 6 per cent of females.
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