Teenage drink-drivers a ‘deadly combination’
August 30, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
One in five teenagers has driven after drinking alcohol and one in 14 has driven after taking drugs, a new survey claims.
The research was carried out by Break, a road safety charity, in conjunction with a leading car insurance provider, Cooperative Insurance.
It has prompted calls for immediate action to lower the drink drive limit for all drivers from the current 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg per 100ml of blood. This would bring the UK in line with EU recommendations.
Campaigners have also called for changes to driver testing, training and licensing.
“Every day young drivers kill and seriously injure themselves and others through a deadly combination of inexperience and taking risks like drink and drug driving,” Jools Townsend, head of education at Charity Brake, told the BBC.
Government figures reported by the BBC show that, on average, more than three people aged 17 or 18 are killed or badly injured in car crashes every day.
Car insurance premiums for teenage drivers have traditionally been high because of the significant likelihood of young motorists making claims.
