Young Drivers: Peer Pressure

Many young drivers feel that they can impress their peers by driving fast and recklessly.  There’s a list of motoring violations intended to impress others:

•    Not wearing Safety Belts
•    Weaving in and out of traffic
•    Driving faster than the flow of traffic
•    Passing excessively
•    Driving on an open road at excessive speed
•    Not coming to a complete stop at Stop Signs
•    Failing to yield the right of way
•    Passing on the left
•    Driving fast at night
•    Tailgating
•    Driving under the influence

Research by Transport for London (TfL) revealed that 31% of young drivers admitted that friends had urged them to 'put their foot down', a finding more common among young men (46%) than young women (15%).

In total, one in three males and one in five females have risked their driving licences by speeding in order to impress passengers or onlookers. This is despite a third of young drivers claiming that they would not be able to maintain their current lifestyle, including their job, if they lost their driving licence.