In most parts of the world, young drivers cause significantly more car accidents than seniors. Our country is no exception. What’s rather worrying is that such accidents are increasing here. Last year, nearly half of road accidents were caused by drivers aged between 18 and 30, while the number of people killed in traffic accidents increased to 725 from 675 in 2015. This is naturally a cause for concern, not just for the law-enforcing authorities, but for the rest of us.
The causes for accidents in this age group are well-known. They include speeding, recklessness and inattention, sudden swerving, failing to leave a safe distance between vehicles, driving through red lights, using mobile phones behind the wheel and not keeping a safe distance between cars. Young people also like to show off when driving, which means that they are generally less safe. It’s hardly surprising that there are 5.5 deaths on the roads per 100,000 people. The authorities aim to reduce that to three per 100,000 by 2021. Although addressing this problem is not simple, some measures can prove effective.
As Phil Clarke, road safety consultant at the Transport Research Lab, pointed out: “In Europe, everyone understands young drivers have a greater risk of committing offences, which means the cost of insurance for young drivers is very high.”
In some cases, their licences are revoked and they are sent back to being learner drivers. The cost of insurance becomes significantly higher in the case of a young person owning a high-power vehicle. That’s because they are not mature enough to control a vehicle and might as well be considered to be driving a deadly weapon. Such practices, coupled with punishments based on behaviour and, as Mr Clarke pointed out, not those that can be easily paid off, are likely to bring about change.
Yet these measures alone would not eliminate the problem any more than traffic laws have eliminated speeding or red-light running, or other risky behaviour. Any robust measures ought to be combined with sustained education campaigns, while schools as well as parents must play their part in educating children about proper road behaviour.
Preservation of our lives, as well as lives of others, is a responsibility that requires the participation of every individual in society.