The focus of this year’s FIA Foundation International Policy Forum, held in Budapest, Hungary, was Road Safety for Young Drivers. The Forum identified 16-24 year olds as the biggest at risk group in terms of road traffic crashes. For this age group car crashes are the leading cause of death. In OECD countries alone it is estimated that over 9,000 16-24 year olds were killed in 2003.
Discussion centred on the types of risks encountered by young drivers, why young drivers are most at risk; the need for better support and training both pre and post licence; and initiatives taken by automobile clubs to mitigate the risks to young drivers.
Speaking at the Policy Forum, John White, Head of the OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, outlined the key elements that put young drivers at risk as being age and physiological development, inexperience, and the increased likelihood of young drivers undertaking high risk activities such as speeding, driving at night, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without wearing a seat belt.
Other keynote speakers Nick Sanders, from the International Commission of Driver Testing Authorities (CIECA), and Anders Nyberg, from the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, spoke of the role of post licence training as a counter measure to young driver crash risks. Post licence training was cited as an effective way of supporting young and novice drivers during the vulnerable post-licence period. Positive effects from piloted post-licence training programmes include increased risk awareness and knowledge as well as positive changes in driver behaviour
The Forum also heard about initiatives undertaken by the automobile clubs to improve safety for young drivers. Susan Pikrallidas, Vice President of Public Affairs at the American Automobile Association (AAA) introduced the concept of the Graduated Drivers Licence, an initiative on which laws have now been passed in all states of the USA with AAA backing. In stark contrast Petro Kruger from the AA South Africa spoke of the obstacles South Africa faces in terms of achieving effective driver licensing and training.
Beate Pappritz, Head of the ADAC’s Road Safety Programme gave a presentation of an ADAC initiative carried out to highlight to young drivers the risks of alcohol impaired driving which resulted in a definite change of attitude towards drink driving amongst the young people involved.
The Think Before You Drive Global Road Safety Campaign was also introduced at the International Policy Forum. The campaign, for which the FIA Foundation has teamed up with Bridgestone, promotes simple road safety messages to drivers and car users and provides automobile clubs with materials to run an effective campaign to highlight important road safety measures such as wearing a seat belt in order to reduce the death and injury toll resulting from road traffic crashes. A new road safety film produced by Richard Stanley Productions was also shown.
The International Policy Forum was hosted by Hungarian automobile club Magyar Autóklub (MAK) and took place in Budapest on 17th June 2005. It was widely attended by representatives from automobile clubs across the world.