During September, more than 4,500 teenagers across Hertfordshire will attend a roadshow organised by the council’s road safety team, in an attempt to further reduce the number of young drivers killed or injured in crashes.
The latest figures produced by Hertfordshire County Council show that the number of young people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on the county’s roads has fallen by 40% in the last two years. The council says road safety education is one of a number of factors that has helped reduce casualties.
The news comes as Hertfordshire’s road safety partnership is in the process of delivering the latest round of Learn2Live (L2L) events for young people.
Statistics from the RAC Foundation show that while teenage drivers (17-19 years) make up only 1.5% of full licence holders they are involved in 12% of collisions where someone is killed or seriously hurt. The statistics also reveal that one in five newly qualified young drivers will have an accident within six months of passing their test.
Featuring contributions from local authority road safety teams, fire & rescue service, police, paramedics, family liaison officers, consultants as well as family speakers, the L2L roadshow encourages young drivers to make small changes to their behaviours, by developing their skills and awareness.
Jonathan Smith, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue group commander, who presents at the events, said: “It takes a range of factors to improve road safety but awareness and education is really key.
“Learn2Live is a 90 minute presentation that has the potential to save lives on our roads. Unfortunately I have attended several fatal incidents where young people have been killed and as the group most at risk, 17-24 year olds need to be aware of their responsibility behind the wheel of a car.
“New drivers might not have the experience to avoid being hurt when it comes to making those split second decisions that are so crucial. I don’t want to put young people off driving, we just want people to take a minute to think about the consequences of driving recklessly, making sure they and others are safe on the roads.”
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