Watch your speed or lose your licence

For most young drivers, passing the test and getting their licence is like getting the stabilisers off their bike - there is a sudden sense of freedom. Everyone remembers the day they were free to get in the car and take to the road without a driving instructor assessing their every move. No more placing your hands at 10 to 2 on the steering wheel or always driving within the speed limit. Whether it’s bombing around town or putting your foot down on a country road, there’s a belief that going a few miles over the speed limit is simply what everyone does.

While most people would agree that passing your test and getting your licence is when the real learning starts, young drivers are putting their licences, lifestyles and even their lives at risk by disregarding some basic principles of good driving that they learn when they sit their test.

New drivers at risk of losing their licence
In the first two years after passing their test, young drivers are ‘on probation’ and, if they get six or more penalty points within this time, they lose their licence and have to go back to being a learner. This can not only have a devastating impact on their lifestyle but also their finances – not to mention how embarrassing it would be to have to reapply for a provisional licence and take both parts of the test again.

But the consequences of taking these risks don’t just stop at losing your licence. One in five young drivers will crash within the first year of passing their test and one in three male drivers between 17 and 20 will crash in the first two years. Young drivers are more likely to be involved in high speed crashes, crashes involving a single car after losing control and crashes when overtaking and negotiating bends. The common denominator in these is speed which is a major contributor to the death and destruction of young people on our roads.

A life and death issue
Michael McDonnell, Director of Road Safety Scotland warns about the dangers of speeding: ‘Some young drivers think it’s boring or uncool to drive within the speed limit. But it really is a life and death issue. If you hit a child at 40mph there’s an 80% chance they’ll die. If you hit them at 30mph there’s an 80% chance they’ll live. But it’s our country roads that pose the greatest risk for young drivers who are often tempted to put their foot down. Many young drivers think they are testing their car’s capabilities when in reality they’re testing their own and often, they come up short. The one thing they all have in common, though, is that they don’t think it will happen to them’.

Says Sergeant Mark Gillespie, of Strathclyde Police Road Safety Unit: ‘Unfortunately I’m all too familiar with seeing first hand the consequences of speeding. I’ve been at the scene of many crashes and it’s always heartbreaking to see young lives so tragically wasted. The message is simple – don’t risk it. Keep within the speed limit and drive appropriately for the road and the conditions.’

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