Key facts
- Over 23,000 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving drivers aged 17-24 in the last five years.
- Approximately 7,500 of these crashes involved the young drivers themselves.
- Over 11,600 other road users, including pedestrians and occupants of other vehicles, were killed or seriously injured.
- Young drivers are nearly a third more likely to be involved in single-vehicle crashes resulting in death or serious injury.
- Saturdays and rural roads present the highest risks for young driver collisions.
- Graduated driving license restrictions will be implemented in Northern Ireland next month.
More than 23,000 people have been killed or seriously injured in crashes involving drivers aged 17 to 24 in Great Britain over the past five years, according to police analysis. The figures, drawn from Department for Transport data between 2021 and 2025, indicate that young drivers are disproportionately represented in fatal and serious collisions, despite driving fewer miles than average.
Of the total casualties, approximately 7,500 were the young drivers themselves, while over 4,000 were passengers in cars driven by young drivers. A significant number, more than 11,600, were other road users, including occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians. The analysis also revealed that young drivers are more prone to single-vehicle crashes that result in death or serious injury, accounting for nearly a third of such incidents involving this age group, compared to 23% for all drivers.
High-risk periods identified include weekends and evenings, with Saturdays recording the highest average number of young driver collisions. Rural roads were found to be twice as dangerous as urban roads for these types of accidents, with young people in rural areas experiencing a per capita involvement rate of 87 per 100,000, compared to 43 per 100,000 in urban areas.
In response, police are encouraging parents to continue supervising their children's driving after they pass their tests as part of Operation Spotlight, a national initiative aimed at reducing young driver risk. This campaign coincides with the return to school and university, shorter days, and worsening weather. Northern Ireland is set to introduce graduated driving licenses next month, featuring a six-month waiting period for practical tests, passenger restrictions at night, and R-plate display for two years. Similar schemes in countries like Australia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of the US have demonstrated reductions in young driver crashes ranging from 5% to 40%.