We see too many car crashes resulting in the tragic death or serious injury of young people. In 2022, 4,935 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers. We felt compelled to write following your article late last year (‘It’s not their fault’: calls for curbs on young drivers after fatal Welsh crash, 24 November). It was written after a series of fatal car crashes involving young drivers and their passengers, and the Department for Transport’s decision not to introduce supportive licensing changes for younger drivers, even though it says “every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy”.
We have known for decades that young drivers are more likely to crash due to inexperience, when carrying similar-aged passengers, and are susceptible to peer influence. The consequences for families and their communities are devastating. These road crashes cost the economy £132m each year, add pressure on the NHS and emergency services, and inflate insurance premiums.
