There are a multitude of indicators that can help us to understand the disproportion of young deaths in fatal road traffic collisions. So, why are young people, young males in particular, more likely to be involved in a collision or die on our roads?
“I don't like the feeling of a seatbelt.”
“I suppose you would drive faster if the lads are in the car.”
“I would only look down at my phone for a second.”
“One pint won’t kill you.”
These are just a few words I have often heard when young people talk about road safety. They’re casual, as if it’s not as serious as our parents make it out to be – but it really is. It’s as though these statements, often said without a second thought, are just part of young Irish culture—things we laugh off or overlook, even when, deep down, we know better.
In 2022, data from the CSO (Central Statistics Office) shows that 77% of those who died in road traffic collisions (RTCs) in Ireland were male. Moreover, a high proportion of drivers killed on Irish roads were under the age of 25 (27 of 153 fatalities in 2022 were under the age of 25) and younger males aged 25-34 report the highest prevalence rates of involvement in RTCs in the previous 12 months. This troubling trend continues to persist, and it has stalked us into 2025.
There is no definite reason that young people are the most likely demographic to be involved in a RTC and there is no intention of ageism behind the claim. However, there are a multitude of indicators that can help us to understand the disproportion of young deaths in fatal road traffic collisions. So, why are young people, young males in particular, more likely to be involved in a collision or die on our roads?
First, the myth - risky driving among young male drivers is caused due to the development of the prefrontal cortex of the brain over the course of the lifetime - well, not so much a myth but an oversimplified explanation of a multifaceted problem. Young men do not believe they are invincible as this statement claims, they know the risks, it has been drilled into us since we first heard the Safe Cross Code in primary school, they just don't believe that the unthinkable will happen to them.
The University Observer sat down with Professor Patricia Fitzpatrick, Full Professor of Epidemiology & Biomedical Statistics at UCD and Board Member of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety to discuss the factors involved in why young people are particularly prone to being involved in collisions.
Peer Pressure
The presence of peers in a car greatly increases the risk of collision for young people. According to a survey carried out by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), out of 1,000 young drivers surveyed, 31% admitted to “speeding as a result of peer pressure.”
Professor Fitzpatrick tells the University Observer that “the risk of an accident increases when a young driver has even one other young passenger in the car. The risk further increases when a higher number of young passengers are present. The problem which arises in these circumstances is a lack of focus on the road.”
Young drivers and passengers are also less likely to wear seat belts, and may not belt up when in a car with friends due to peer pressure. Research from the United States found that seat belt use by young drivers “decreases as the number of young passengers they carry increases.”
Young people might think, “Why would I be the annoying one who reminds everyone to put on their seatbelt before starting the car?” or “I can’t ask them to do that; they’d just be annoyed, right?” But when you find yourself visiting a friend in hospital or mourning them after a fatal accident, the answer to that question becomes painfully clear. “No, they won’t be annoyed. Put on your seatbelt, lads.”
Unaware of the True Risks of Drugs and Alcohol
Peer pressure also opens the door to the dangerous possibility of alcohol and drugs in the car. Even if you are not the one intoxicated driving all it takes is one drunk friend to reach forward from the backseat to mess with the steering wheel. These friends might want you to drive faster for the thrill, a short thrill which could end up having long term consequences.
Professor Fitzpatrick says “The Medical Bureau of Road Safety Report 2023 shows that of all arrested for suspected alcohol or drug-related driving offences, 80% of males and 68% of females were under 45 years. It also shows the prevalence of drugged driving is highest in males and younger people. The gender profile was 88.9% male and 9.7% female and the age profile of positive specimens showed 89% aged 44 years and under, and 65% under 34 years.”
Older generations are less likely to take part in such a culture of drink and alcohol in relation to driving as they have experienced or have known individuals who have been involved in fatal road collisions.
Awareness and Road Safety Initiatives
So, how are safety organizations and media outlets addressing these factors to improve road safety for young drivers?
Firstly, it must be said that despite all the imagined advertisements in the world and new road rules passed, Professor Fitzpatrick notes that “awareness and knowledge are not always matched by behaviour. Young people often drive too fast because they underestimate the risks associated with speeding.”
Road traffic accident prevention campaigns emphasise the consequences of speeding to reduce this. There have been hard hitting advertisements and the recent reduction of speed limits on rural and semi-rural roads has been advertised on social media, however it is unclear if the knowledge of this new law has truly reached the demographic it affects most.
Another preventive measure Ireland is taking to tackle this problem is the ‘Road Safety Matters’ programme, launched by the RSA in September 2024 aimed to “deliver training to teachers from 30 schools in phase 1. However, due to overwhelming demand and positive feedback, the RSA has successfully delivered training to teachers from almost 140 schools nationwide representing over 12,700 students.”
Knowledge and understanding begins in the home and classroom. Road safety should not be a new phrase you only learn while studying for your theory test. Professor Fitzpatrick says this theory test “may be taken some time before a young person actually gets their driving licence and starts driving on their own,” meaning the culture of unsafe driving may already be ingrained in young drivers, perhaps from the risky driving behaviors they have witnessed in their parents' own habits behind the wheel. Putting programmes such as those delivered by the RSA in schools at such a young age helps to combat this problem.
I encourage every young driver to not only know the risks of the road but to mould your behaviour around them. You may think “What are the chances of that happening to us?” The answer is higher than you think. Whether you are a passenger or the driver, it is your responsibility to make sure everyone gets to their location. For the driver, it is your responsibility to have both hands on the wheel, and none on your phone.
It only takes a second.