Young Drivers

"I didn't think it was a big deal."

Make Changes, Not Excuses.

Between 2008 – 2012 in Alberta, 216 young drivers (between 14 - 24 years of age) were killed and 13,116 young drivers were injured in collisions. Although young drivers represent only a small percentage of the province's licensed drivers, they have the highest casualty collision rates.

Many factors contribute to a high collision rate among teenagers. Both male and female drivers exhibit similar poor behaviours when driving, including driving impaired, running red lights, talking on cell phones, text messaging, speeding, tailgating and risk-taking.

Young Driver Facts

One in every five new drivers is involved in a collision in their first two years of driving.
Crash rates for young drivers are highest when there are teen passengers in the vehicle and at night.
In terms of involvement per 1,000 licensed drivers, males aged 18-24 are consistently more likely to have consumed alcohol prior to a casualty collision than any other age group.
Another high-risk behaviour that significantly contributes to young driver road crashes in Alberta is driver intoxication (including drugs and alcohol).

Other associated-factors with crashes

Driver inexperience: Often, young drivers don’t realize that it takes time and a lot of practice to develop safe driving skills.
Overconfidence and risk-taking: Young drivers can be overconfident about their driving ability and underestimate dangers on the road.
Having friends as passengers: Young drivers may be distracted by passengers or may feel pressured to take risks, such as speeding.

Source: Government of Alberta Transportation