According to a recent survey carried out by road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), together with Vision Critical, most young drivers consider themselves better than the average driver, despite being two and a half times more likely to be involved in a serious accident.

The survey indicates that 75% of young male motorists believe their driving skills are better than the average motorist, a sentiment shared by 68% of young female drivers.

The most confident young drivers can be found in Northern Ireland, where 87% consider themselves better than average. However, they make up 26% of those involved in crashes.

The least confident young motorists are in Wales, where only 56% consider their skills to be above average.

The survey found that while only 8% of drivers are under the age of 25, they account for 22% of drivers involved in serious injuries and fatal crashes.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said a re-examination of the system for teaching young people how to drive was needed. According to him, the system should prepare them better by giving them experience of more situations and risks on the road. He claims the responsibility for this lies with the government, training providers, insurers, charities and parents.

Among the measures that need to be taken, the IAM states road safety education should become part of the school curriculum, with a minimum of 12 months teaching along with a logbook to build experience safely. There should also be a post-test assessment and training for all during the first months of independent driving.

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Sources: https://www.rac.co.uk/ , https://www.prweb.com , https://www.iam.org.uk