Risky driving among Australian teens

Key findings

• Close to 80% of P-platers and 55% of learner drivers aged 16–17 had engaged in some form of risky driving on at least one of their 10 most recent trips.
• More than one in 10 teens without a licence or learner’s permit had taken risks while driving a car or riding a motorbike.
• Speeding by up to 10 km/h over the limit and driving while tired were the two most common forms of risky driving.
• One in five teens who failed to wear a seatbelt when driving (or a helmet if riding a motorcycle) did so every trip.
• Learner drivers, P-platers and unlicenced drivers did not differ in their rates of seatbelt/ helmet use.
• Almost 4% of teens had driven while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the past year.
• About one in 10 teens had been the passenger of a driver who was under the influence in the past year.
• Teenagers who drank alcohol or used marijuana were more likely to engage in all types of risky driving.