Over a third of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 have been passengers in cars being driven without a licence or motor insurance, worrying new research has revealed.
A study undertaken by the joint efforts of FedEx and the Brake road safety campaign made the disturbing discovery after questioning more than 700 youngsters across the country. They had visited numerous schools, colleges and young offenders' institutes, preaching the message of save driving and handing out questionnaires.
Commenting on the number of youngsters driving without car insurance or driving licence, Brake's chief executive, Mary Williams, said, "Unlicensed young drivers make a conscious decision to drive without the necessary qualification, and often with their cars packed full of young passengers.
"They risk not only their own lives, but the lives of their passengers and other road users, and there is an urgent need to crack down on this wide-spread lawbreaking that costs lives through more education and tougher enforcement."
2005 saw the deaths of nearly 800 under-25s in car and motorbike accidents, and it is this sort of tragic statistic that road safety charities such as Brake are trying to drastically reduce. By warning of the dangers of driving with no licence or motor insurance, the charity hopes to prevent accidents and save young lives.
A spokesman from Hoot Car Insurance Services, the expert providers of young driver car insurance, said, "There really is no excuse for getting behind the wheel of a car without a licence or motor insurance.
"Even if you don't end up hurting or killing someone, you're still likely to lose your right to a cheap car insurance deal if you're caught."