It’s headline news whenever a young driver, especially a P-plater, is involved in a fatal crash. But do the statistics support the hysteria? By Kris Ashton

While official figures show young drivers are still the worst offenders for speeding-related fatalities, it appears they are getting the message – unlike their supposedly level-headed elders.

Statistics from the NSW Centre for Road Safety show that in 2006, drivers aged 17 to 25 were involved in 70 fatal speeding crashes, almost double 30 to 39-year-olds (39) and more than triple 40 to 49-year-olds (21).

However, the 2007 figures paint a very different picture. The same demographic of young drivers recorded 42 fatal speeding crashes (a 40 per cent drop), while 30 to 39-year-olds racked up 38, and 40 to 49-year-olds remained the same on 21.

“Look, there are 300,000 young drivers on the road, from L-platers to P-platers, and they are not all doing a bad job,” said NRMA Senior Policy Advisor – Road Safety, Anne Morphett. “There are lots of good young drivers on the road and they are often forgotten and unfairly criticised because of the behaviour of other people their age. This only happens to younger and older drivers.”

And while speeding-related incidents tend to get more coverage and column inches, alcohol-fuelled carnage continues to be a far bigger killer on our roads.

The message not to drink and drive also seems to be getting through to young drivers much better than their parents.

In 2006, drivers aged 17 to 25 were responsible for 156 drink-driving fatalities –not much higher than 30 to 39s (142) and 40 to 49s (113).

In 2007, 40 to 49-year-olds actually increased their figure to 118 booze-related deaths, while young drivers slashed their fatal drink driving stats by 24 per cent to also record 118 fatalities. The 30 to 39 year-olds made a significant improvement, too, registering 117 deaths.

In fact, in the media’s hurry to report fatal incidents involving young drivers, it appears to have overlooked the good news in the 2008 road toll statistics.

As of December 2008, year-on-year fatalities in all age groups were down from 435 to 395, with 17 to 25s recording four fewer deaths and the 30 to 39s cutting 12 from their overall toll.

This is the lowest road toll ever – a statistic that becomes even more impressive when compared to 1998 (almost 600 road deaths), 1988 (around 1000 dead) and 1978 (almost 1400 fatalities, at a time when the national population was only 14 million).
While these figures are commendable, the same RTA stats show that crashes causing injury increased from 19,663 in 2006 to 19,917 in 2007, or two per cent.

According to Ms Morphett, crashes involving serious injuries can often be as devastating in their own way as a fatality.

“There are thousands of individuals living with long-term injuries,” Ms Morphett said. “There is much trauma attached to rehabilitation.”

In particular, she singled out acquired brain injury, which can affect mobility and speech and result in the person afflicted suffering bouts of rage. This is turn can tear families apart.

Morphett adds that younger drivers are also more susceptible to such crashes.

“Most crashes involving P-platers are a result of their lack of driving experience,” said Morphett. “In the same circumstances, a more experienced driver’s experience usually gets them out of a crash.”

Open Road July/August 2009.