More than 23,000 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers between 2021 and 2025, according to police analysis of Department for Transport data.
The figures reveal that young driver crash casualties extend far beyond those behind the wheel. Around 7,500 casualties were drivers aged 17 to 24 and more than 4,000 were their passengers.
More than 11,600 were other road users, including pedestrians and people travelling in other vehicles. This means around half of those killed or seriously injured were not inside the young driver’s vehicle.
Young drivers remain disproportionately represented
Drivers aged 17 to 24 were involved in around one fifth of collisions resulting in death or serious injury, despite driving substantially fewer miles than the average motorist.
Nearly a third of young drivers involved in fatal or serious crashes were in single-vehicle collisions, compared with 23% of drivers across all age groups.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council identified evenings and weekends as particularly high-risk periods. Twice as many fatal or serious young-driver collisions reportedly occurred on rural roads as on urban roads.
Support should continue beyond the test
The figures have been released as part of Operation Spotlight, a national police campaign coinciding with the start of the academic year, darker evenings and deteriorating weather.
Police are encouraging parents and guardians to remain involved during the first months after a young person passes their driving test. This may include helping them consider the additional risks associated with night-time journeys, rural roads, poor weather and carrying passengers.
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, deputy national coordinator at the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, said inexperience and difficulty assessing risk were among the most significant factors affecting young-driver safety.
For driver and rider trainers, the findings reinforce the importance of preparing learners for independent driving rather than concentrating solely on test performance. Developing judgement, risk awareness and strategies for unfamiliar or demanding situations should remain central to learning.
Continued professional development, post-test training and constructive support from families can all help newly qualified drivers build experience more safely.
Sourced via: Sky News
