We need restrictions on night driving and peer passenger numbers for novice drivers
Road trauma remains one of the leading causes of death for young Australians.1 Of particular concern is the fact that more than a quarter of all fatal road injuries (27%) and hospitalisations (26%) are in the age group 17 to 25 years,2 and yet this age group comprises only 15% of licensed drivers.3 As well, despite continued funding and the implementation of effective road safety strategies, road fatalities in this age group have remained relatively constant since 1998.
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- Injury Prevention and Trauma Care Division, George Institute for International Health, Sydney, NSW.
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- 13. Foss RD. The North Carolina graduated driver licensing system: urban–rural differences. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, 2001. Available at: www.hsrc.unc.edu/pdf/gdl/Gdl_02_25.PDF (accessed Dec 2004).