Warning to Northamptonshire parents as thousands seriously hurt in young driver crashes
Parents of young drivers in Northamptonshire are being urged to stay involved after their children pass their test as new figures reveal more than 23,000 people nationwide have been killed or seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers.
Northamptonshire Police is supporting a three-week national campaign highlighting the risks facing drivers aged 17 to 24, particularly during evenings, weekends and on rural roads.
Department for Transport figures covering Great Britain between 2021 and 2025 show around 7,500 of those killed or seriously injured were young drivers themselves.
More than 4,000 were passengers in cars driven by young people, while more than 11,600 were other road users, including pedestrians and people in other vehicles.
Two-thirds of young car drivers involved in collisions resulting in death or serious injury were male.
Almost a third were involved in single-vehicle crashes, compared with 23 per cent of car drivers overall, while twice as many young drivers were involved in fatal collisions on rural roads as urban roads.
The figures have been released as part of Operation Spotlight on Young Drivers, which runs from September 14 to October 4 and brings together police activity, education and public engagement.
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, deputy national coordinator at the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, said: “Young drivers are disproportionately represented in serious and fatal collisions, despite driving substantially fewer miles than the average driver.”
He said inexperience and difficulties assessing risk were among the most significant factors affecting young driver safety.
Parents are being encouraged to help young motorists gradually build experience in potentially more challenging situations, including driving at night, on rural roads and in different weather.
Families are also advised to consider setting boundaries around late-night driving and carrying passengers, while making clear that young people can call home for a lift if they feel unsafe.
Rebecca Morris, of Protect Young Drivers, said: “Most young drivers aren’t reckless – they’re inexperienced.
“Parents don’t need to stop their children becoming independent, but they can help them gain that independence as safely as possible.”