A recent CARRS-Q survey suggests that three out of four young Queensland drivers own a vehicle within the first six months of receiving a Provisional licence, increasing their risk of being involved in a crash.
The survey findings, published in the international journal Traffic Injury Prevention, indicated that nearly 80% of inexperienced, new drivers aged 17 to 19 responding to the survey had primary access to a vehicle.
PhD Scholar Bridie Scott-Parker said research showed car ownership and high mileage led to increased rates of crashes, traffic offences and risky driving for newly independent drivers.
“We found 78.4% of young drivers with less than six months of independent driving experience had their own car despite being our newest drivers on the road,” she said.
“The first six months is the most dangerous time for new drivers. We would prefer they get experience driving in shared vehicles with parents monitoring their driving as much as possible.”
Comments