The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Alberta is reminding young drivers to exercise caution on the road and avoid distractions, during one of the peak months for fatal young driver collisions.
July – along with September – is a month in which fatal crashes involving a young driver are most likely to occur.
“The message is simple, distracted driving is extremely dangerous. It puts you and everyone else on the road at greater risk of being involved in a collision,” said Superintendent Rick Gardner, Alberta Traffic Sheriffs. “Drivers need to keep their eyes on the road and off the phones.”
In 2015, young drivers represented 14% of the province’s registered drivers, but made up more than 20% of the drivers involved in casualty collisions, according to Alberta Transportation. One of the leading factors for the high rate of collisions amongst young drivers is distracted driving. Distraction is defined as any activity, event or object that takes a driver’s attention away from the road. Talking on a cell phone, texting, attending to other passengers or pets, or even personal grooming are all actions that could lead to fatal error in judgement and collisions.
Facts from Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation:
- One in five new drivers is involved in a collision during their first two years of driving
- Fatal collisions involving a young driver occur most often in July and September
- Distracted drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision than attentive drivers
- Young male drivers, age 22 to 34 years, have the highest distracted driving conviction rates
