Skip to main content

Norway to address young male driver safety?

Safety campaigners in Norway are proposing a novel approach to cutting road accident levels. With data showing that young male drivers account for a disproportionately high number of accidents, calls are being made for increased regulations in order to boost safety. Those suggesting the changes believe that tougher rules for young male drivers in the 18-24 age group would reduce the number of traffic accidents.Norway's accident data reveals that of road accidents involving fatalities, young men are the driv
May 9, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Safety campaigners in Norway are proposing a novel approach to cutting road accident levels. With data showing that young male drivers account for a disproportionately high number of accidents, calls are being made for increased regulations in order to boost safety. Those suggesting the changes believe that tougher rules for young male drivers in the 18-24 age group would reduce the number of traffic accidents.

Norway’s accident data reveals that of road accidents involving fatalities, young men are the drivers in 20% of accidents. The safety campaigners say that cars driven by men in the 18-24 age range should be equipped with an interlock device and have a built-in speed limiter. Young male drivers should also be prohibited from carrying passengers.

But according to the 5470 Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF), these measures will have little impact. Instead emphasis should be on safer cars, improved road standards and information campaigns.

Norway’s road safety record is amongst the best in the world, due to a mixture of low traffic densities overall on the road network, good driver education and good vehicle condition. Other countries with good road safety standards, such as Sweden and the UK, have similar approaches to reducing accident levels. And in these countries too, the disparity of accidents involving young male drivers has been identified. But many other countries around the world have yet to tackle the specific problems to road safety caused by young males in the 18-24 age range, which is one reason why their road fatality rates will remain high.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Improving road safety in France and UK
    May 1, 2012
    The latest official data shows a continuing improvement in road safety statistics in both France and the UK. However the data also reveals worrying trends in accidents concerning vulnerable road users.
  • Better road safety reduces Europe’s casualty figures
    October 2, 2014
    Improving road safety in the EU has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate. Official figures just released show that the number of people killed on Europe's roads fell by 8% in 2013. This follows on from the drop in fatalities of between 2011 and 2012 and Europe is on track to halve road deaths in the 2010-2020 period Figures released by the European Commission provide grounds for optimism and Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “We welcome the reductio
  • Drink driving challenge for Europe
    October 8, 2012
    In Europe there is a growing understanding that alcohol use amongst drivers still has to be tackled effectively. Accident data reveals that while safety standards are improving across most European countries, with steady reductions in numbers of serious injuries and fatalities, there remains a problem with alcohol use. In Spain in particular, there has been a major reduction in road casualty levels, but research into the accident data has shown that while the numbers of accidents has reduced overall, there
  • Europe’s road safety challenge for the future
    March 2, 2022
    Europe’s road safety challenge is to reduce casualties for the future.