Young drivers are involved in far more serious crashes than their share of licences would suggest, in both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This guide uses the latest official figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Northern Ireland’s Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to explain where the extra risk comes from. It then turns each risk into a habit you can start building as a learner or in your first year after passing.
The numbers in brief
Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). DfT’s factsheet on younger and older car drivers, updated in September 2026, defines younger drivers as those aged 17 to 24. In 2025 they held 6.3% of full driving licences, yet they were 19% of car drivers killed, and 20% of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) were in collisions involving a younger car driver. The trend is improving: KSI casualties among younger car drivers fell 64% between 2004 and 2025, from 3,811 to 1,381.
Northern Ireland. DfI says that in 2024, drivers aged 17 to 23 accounted for 24% of fatal or serious collisions despite holding 8% of licences. In 2024 there were 164 people killed or seriously injured in collisions where a car driver aged 17 to 23 was responsible.
The two sets of figures use different age bands and measures, so they should not be compared directly. They point the same way, though: young drivers are over-represented in serious collisions.
Where the extra risk comes from (Great Britain)
When police attend a fatal or serious collision, they can record “road safety factors” that they believe contributed. DfT warns these are officers’ opinions and should be read with caution. For 2024 to 2025, the factors recorded for younger car drivers in fatal or serious collisions included:
| Factor (Great Britain, 2024 to 2025) | Younger drivers (17 to 24) | Drivers aged 25 to 69 |
|---|---|---|
| Ineffective observation | 31% | 30% |
| Exceeding the speed limit | 21% | 8% |
| Travelling too fast for conditions | 19% | 8% |
| Aggressive, dangerous or reckless driving | 17% | 8% |
| Inexperienced or learner driver | 16% | 2% |
| Driver distraction | 9% | 8% |
| Affected by alcohol | 8% | 6% |
| Affected by drugs | 7% | 4% |
DfT says inexperience was the factor most strongly linked to younger drivers, at 7.5 times the rate for drivers aged 25 to 69. Speed factors were around two and a half times as common.
Habit 1: keep your speed down, especially on rural roads
In Northern Ireland, DfI says excessive speed is the most common cause of serious collisions involving young drivers, and that in 2024, 71% of people killed or seriously injured in collisions involving a driver aged 17 to 23 were on rural roads. DfT’s GB data for 2021 to 2025 also shows KSI casualties concentrated on rural roads, particularly among younger drivers.
The Highway Code for Great Britain says the speed limit is the absolute maximum, not a target, and that you should drive at a speed that lets you stop well within the distance you can see to be clear. On bends and country lanes that can be far below the limit. Practise judging gaps and stopping distances with the safety margins theory topic.
Habit 2: be careful about night driving and passengers
DfT’s GB figures for 2021 to 2025 show younger drivers were most over-represented late at night, making up 38% of car drivers killed or seriously injured at 2am. Passengers were 21% of KSI casualties in collisions involving younger drivers, compared with 12% for drivers aged 25 to 69, and 85% of passengers killed in cars driven by younger drivers were themselves aged 16 to 24.
Build up gradually: practise night driving with your instructor before driving alone after dark, and keep early trips with friends short and familiar. In Northern Ireland, under graduated driver licensing, new drivers under 24 who passed under the new rules can carry no more than one passenger aged 14 to 20 between 11pm and 6am for the first six months, with exemptions such as immediate family. This is a passenger limit, not a curfew. The attitude topic covers handling pressure from passengers.
Habit 3: put the phone out of reach
The Highway Code says you must not use a hand-held phone or similar device for any purpose while driving, including when stopped in traffic. It also warns that hands-free calls can distract you and that it is far safer not to use a phone at all while driving. Set your sat nav and music before you move off, and put the phone on do not disturb. The alertness topic covers distraction questions for the theory test.
Habit 4: never drive tired, drunk or high
The Highway Code says driving tired greatly increases the risk of a collision. It advises against long journeys between midnight and 6am and recommends a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours. On alcohol, it says any amount affects your ability to drive safely and that the best solution is not to drink at all if you plan to drive. Alcohol can still be in your body the morning after. It also says you must not drive with illegal drugs above the specified limits, which are set very low.
Habit 5: train your eyes, and always belt up
Ineffective observation was the most common factor for drivers of all ages, and inexperience is what most sets young drivers apart. Hazard perception is a skill you can train: practise with the hazard perception test clips and the hazard awareness topic, and talk through what you see on every lesson. Finally, DfT found that between 2021 and 2025, 29% of younger car drivers killed (where seat belt use was known) were recorded as not wearing one, compared with 12% of older drivers. The Highway Code says you must wear a seat belt if one is fitted.
Quick answers
Are young drivers getting safer? Yes, in Great Britain. DfT reports a 64% fall in KSI casualties among younger car drivers between 2004 and 2025, but they remain over-represented compared with their share of licences.
Do these figures apply to Northern Ireland? The DfT figures cover Great Britain only. DfI publishes its own Northern Ireland figures, which use the 17 to 23 age group.
Is there a night curfew for new drivers in Northern Ireland? No. The only night rule is the 11pm to 6am passenger limit for new drivers under 24 in their first six months.
What it means for you
Official figures show young drivers are over-represented in serious crashes, with speed, inexperience, late nights and passengers standing out. Slower speeds on rural roads, a phone out of reach, no driving tired or impaired, and steady practice at hazard spotting all cut the risk. This is general information.
Sources
- Department for Transport, “Reported road casualties in Great Britain: younger and older car drivers factsheet, 2025” (gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, “Graduated Driver Licensing: FAQs” (infrastructure-ni.gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Why Graduated Driver Licensing has been introduced in NI” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Graduated Driver Licensing for newly qualified drivers” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- Department for Transport, “The Highway Code: general rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158)” (gov.uk)
- Department for Transport, “The Highway Code: rules for drivers and motorcyclists (89 to 102)” (gov.uk)