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Road safety experts in the Australian state of New South Wales want men banned from getting a driving license until they turn 21. The extreme measure is aimed at curbing traffic fatalities, considering that young men are very vulnerable to crashes.
I know we all think of ourselves as the best drivers, but statistics don’t lie, and what they tell us is that young men are usually lousy drivers. Young men tend to take unnecessary risks, often overestimating their abilities. That’s why they are overrepresented in car crash statistics. According to the Australasian College of Road Safety, drivers under 25 account for 25% of the crashes in NSW, despite only representing about 15% of all drivers in the state.
It’s not just young males but men in general that are more prone to accidents. So far this year, 155 men and 48 women have lost their lives in car crashes across NSW, according to Transport for NSW. Between 2011 and 2021, the same 3:1 ratio was observed in road-fatality statistics.
“The first six months of licensing, in particular, people are very vulnerable to crashes,” the Australasian College of Road Safety’s president, emeritus professor Ann Williamson, told The Guardian. “Undoubtedly, some young novice drivers will be better than others. If we can identify those who perhaps are likely to be inherently more risky and limit their licensing, make that a little bit later. Young males, perhaps they should be 21 or 22 before they get their license. This is very controversial stuff, but these are all things to think about.”
While these are expert talks, there’s no indication that the authorities are seriously considering changing the state’s licensing system. Nevertheless, the authorities take into account restricting the number of passengers that can travel in a car with a young driver. This is a measure already in effect in the Australian state of Victoria, where young drivers with less than 24 months of driving experience (called P1 or red P-platters) can have no more than one young passenger.
It’s not just young males but men in general that are more prone to accidents. So far this year, 155 men and 48 women have lost their lives in car crashes across NSW, according to Transport for NSW. Between 2011 and 2021, the same 3:1 ratio was observed in road-fatality statistics.
“The first six months of licensing, in particular, people are very vulnerable to crashes,” the Australasian College of Road Safety’s president, emeritus professor Ann Williamson, told The Guardian. “Undoubtedly, some young novice drivers will be better than others. If we can identify those who perhaps are likely to be inherently more risky and limit their licensing, make that a little bit later. Young males, perhaps they should be 21 or 22 before they get their license. This is very controversial stuff, but these are all things to think about.”
While these are expert talks, there’s no indication that the authorities are seriously considering changing the state’s licensing system. Nevertheless, the authorities take into account restricting the number of passengers that can travel in a car with a young driver. This is a measure already in effect in the Australian state of Victoria, where young drivers with less than 24 months of driving experience (called P1 or red P-platters) can have no more than one young passenger.
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