Figures released by the road safety charity Brake show that men aged between 17 and 24, whilst holding only 12% of the driving licenses issued, are involved in 25% of deaths and serious injuries that occur in the UK.

One in five in the same age group crashes in the first six months after passing their test.

Every year, more than 3,300 young drivers and passengers aged 17 to 24 are killed or suffer a life changing serious injury as a result of a road traffic accident.

Parents everywhere will be concerned about the statistics that one in every 60 young male drivers is involved in a crash that results in death or injury to themselves or to their passengers or to other road users.

The figures show a dramatic decrease in the risk as the driver gets older and more experienced. Whilst one out of every 451 17-year-old male drivers is killed or seriously injured in a road traffic accident, the figure decreases to one in every 634 when we look at young men aged 18.

Once the driver reaches the age of 19 the risk decreases further to one in 841. Whilst statistics may not always tell the full story, it's clear that gathering the information and understanding the risks involved is not enough to reduce the number of fatalities, head injuries, amputations, spinal injuries and other catastrophic injuries caused by and to this group of young men on the roads in the UK.

The solution, backed by Brake, is to introduce a system of graduated driver licensing, which would impose certain restrictions on new drivers such as a reduced drink drive limit and a limit on night time driving during the first 12 months to two years after the driving test is passed, during which period drivers can gain greater experience on the road.

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