Recommendations to support young driver safety

The first series of results from the largest study of young drivers ever undertaken, the DRIVE study, were released in mid-2009. These results found that there were significant crash differences between rural and urban drivers. Rural drivers were found to be more likely to be involved in a single vehicle crash than urban drivers.

Single vehicle crashes are more likely to result in serious injury and fatality. The authors recommend that interventions to reduce single vehicle crashes should aim to address key issues affecting such crashes, including speeding and specific aspects of road geometry. These results will inform future young driver intervention and policy development. The DRIVE study continues to publish findings, which are featured on the Young Driver Factbase – an online resource for young driver issues.