Statistics say young drivers more likely to die in crashes

Impaired driving, running red lights, distracted driving, and general risk-taking are many of the common habits that are putting young men at the top of the list in terms of traffic fatalities in Alberta.

The Ministry of Transportation released the statistic on Thursday as part of the provincial safety campaign aimed at saving the lives of young drivers in Alberta.

Wayne Drysdale, the Minister of Transportation, says that responsible driving is one of the main ways to improve safety on the road.

“The death of a young person is tragic enough, but even more so when it could have so easily been avoided,” he said in a release.

The province says that in over five years, more than 200 young drivers aged 14 to 24 were killed and 13,116 were injured in crashes.

Police say that young and inexperienced drivers need to understand that driving requires their complete attention.

“When you give it less than 100 percent, it can have devastating consequences for you and others who share the road with you,” says RCMP Superintendent Howard Eaton, ‘K’ Division Traffic Services in a release.

The province has also said that young drivers are almost twice as likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash, and males 18 to 21 are more likely to consume alcohol before getting behind the wheel.

Crashes are also the leading cause of death and injury in Alberta’s young people and over one third of young drivers killed in crashes were not wearing their seatbelt.