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One-third more deaths in accidents involving young drivers
In the first quarter of 2016, the number of deaths in car accidents involving young drivers increased by 37% compared with a year earlier, write Het Laatste Nieuws and De Morgen. "They underestimate the danger on the road and overestimate their driving skills,” says Karin Genoe of the Belgian Road Safety Institute (BRSI).
Twenty-six people died in the first three months of this year in an accident involving a young driver, compared to 19 last year. “In the age group of 18 to 25 years, the number of people injured in crashes decreased by 6%, but the total number of fatal accidents rose sharply,” Genoe points out.
"That's because the young drivers may underestimate the danger on the road and overestimate their own driving skills,” she continues. “More awareness campaigns, police checks and stricter driving courses with a focus on risk analysis are the only ways to bring down the number of fatalities.”
Three traffic accidents claimed five lives last weekend in Belgium, each one caused by a young driver.
Comments
Well, it's improvement over a few years ago. Anybody remember Two D's and OK's Crazy bar? Young people as drunk as a skunk and all driving. Carnage. The same problem remains though, a few drinks and the new gods gift to driving and you have mayhem. Solution? Alcohol slot and telemetry boxes. I know the alcohol slot works because a fine upstanding Belgian soldier asked me to blow in to his when I was on my way back to party. The telemetry box means you don't drive at certain hours, you don't exceed the speed limit and you drive smoothly and gently or your insurance is revoked or goes through the roof. The solutions are there. Heck, stopping accepting the carnage in Overijse as normal changed a lot.