Young driver involvement in severe car crashes

One of the most dominant stable observations in traffic safety is substantially higher than average involvement in crashes by younger drivers. Elevated crash rates have been observed for young drivers in just about every country which collects traffic safety data, and such effects have been widely documented. One central question is the extent to which the elevated rates depend on two quite separate factors: first, lack of knowledge and skill (inexperience); and second, characteristics inexorably associated with youthful behavior. This question is important because the two factors imply different remedies. The problem of lack of knowledge and skill can be addressed by study, instruction, training, and supervised practice; driving problems linked to overall youthful behavior are probably in part related to questions of social norms, so that remedial steps would have to be of a broader, less specific nature.