New Figures Reveal Dangers Facing Young Drivers In Countryside

By Rob Dixon

Legal experts representing victims of all ages who have suffered serious injuries in road traffic collisions are calling on the Government and other authorities to ensure action is taken to improve rural road safety, after a new study revealed the dangers such routes pose to young drivers.

According to figures from Road Safety Analysis, young drivers in rural areas are 44 per cent more likely to be involved in a collision than people of the same age who drive in urban areas.

It also specifically highlighted that rural young drivers are more likely to be involved in single vehicle collisions, collisions on road bends, incidents in the dark and where a wet road surface had played a part then their urban counterparts.

The study also identified the top ‘riskiest’ counties for young rural drivers, with North Lincolnshire, South Glamorgan and Lincolnshire making up the top three. Other counties rated highly in terms of risk including Surrey, Sussex and Cheshire.

Irwin Mitchell’s serious injury lawyers act for people who have suffered life-changing injuries as a result of road accidents, helping them to gain justice and access to vital care and rehabilitation services. They also represent the families of victims of all ages who have died in such incidents.

Neil Whiteley, a Partner and specialist in road traffic collision injuries at Irwin Mitchell’s Sheffield office, said the research was a vital wake-up call.

He outlined: “Throughout our work we see numerous tragic cases where lives have been lost or completely devastated by the consequences of collisions on roads in both rural and urban areas. The terrible effect of these cases cannot be underestimated, with families and communities often left stunned.

“This new research has uncovered some unwelcome truths about road safety in rural areas which clearly need to be addressed.

“We would urge the Government and other road safety bodies to work quickly to consider what measures can be taken to reduce the number of collisions in the countryside, whether this may be general improvements to infrastructure or other steps to cut the number of incidents.

“It is also vital that young drivers in both rural and urban areas are given quality advice and education in regards to safety, which will hopefully help them to keep themselves, other road users and pedestrians safe from harm.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in relation to Road Traffic Accident Compensation Claims