A new campaign is encouraging young motorists in the North East to do everything they can to keep themselves and their passengers safe by being sensible and taking responsibility for each other.
During the past five years alone, 37 young drivers and passengers have been killed and 590 seriously injured in collisions in the region.
Road Safety GB North East (RSGB NE) has teamed up with students from Stockton Riverside College for the campaign, appealing for young drivers to recognise the risks and take extra care.
RSGB NE says young drivers aged between 17-24 years continue to be the highest risk group on the region’s roads.
Young drivers hold just 6% of driving licences in the region, but account for 17% of driver casualties. Nationally, the figure is 9% and 22%.
Peter Slater, chair of RSGB NE, said: “Every year we see young people tragically killed and injured in road collisions, causing enormous heartache to so many families. The majority of the time, they could easily have been avoided.
“We are urging young drivers to do everything they can to keep themselves and their passengers safe by being sensible and taking responsibility for each other. They need to ask themselves, could they live with it if they were responsible for the death of their friend or another person?”
The students at Stockton Riverside College have helped to create campaign videos that are being rolled out across the region, highlighting common risks.
Laura Lillystone, a student at the college, said: “It’s great to bring some awareness to young people who are new to the roads. We see some young people doing stupid things and they need to know the risks they can cause to themselves and to others.
“I just want to say to other young drivers, stick to the speed limit, focus on the road, never drink/drug drive and always wear a seatbelt. Don’t be distracted. It could save a life.”
Inspector Steve Clyburn, of Cleveland Police Roads Policing Unit, said: “In Cleveland, we have seen an increase in fatalities and serious collisions involving young drivers. All too often our officers are attending the home addresses of teenagers who have been killed or seriously injured in collisions, which could have been avoided.
“We urge young drivers to enjoy their new freedom, but at the same time to not do anything to put their own, their friends’ or other road users’ safety at risk.”
The figures show that while males accounted for over two-thirds of the young drivers injured or killed on the roads, more than half of the passengers were female.
Andrew Bright, road safety co-ordinator at Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: “It’s great to see the students getting behind this important campaign. No passenger should feel anxious or scared by the manner in which a car is being driven and it’s important to understand the risk factors and call out risky driving practices. It could save a life.”
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