The Government has launched a new Think! campaign to raise awareness of risks when speeding or driving too fast for road conditions, especially on rural roads.

Male drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25 or over

Targeted at young male drivers, the ‘Is pushing it worth it?’ campaign urges drivers to think about the dangers of driving too fast for road conditions, as it highlights that speed kills and injures 54 young people every week in the UK.

Speeding accounts for around one in four fatal collisions, but is particularly prevalent among young men; as statistics show male drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than drivers aged 25 or over. Research findings also show that 60% of all serious and fatal collisions involving young male car drivers were on rural roads.

Think! research shows young males underestimate the risks of driving just a few miles per hour over the right speed for the road conditions. The campaign seeks to challenge overconfidence among younger drivers and highlight that while excessive speeding is an issue, it is equally important to not go slightly over the speed limit or drive too fast for the road.

Road Safety Minister Richard Holden said: “Road safety is our priority, but we want to accelerate our efforts to tackle unsafe driving habits and create some of the safest roads in the world.

“We’re highlighting the dangers of relaxed driving attitudes on rural roads so that everyone recognises that pushing the speed limit is just not worth it.”

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams added: “We know speeding presents a clear and present road safety danger, particularly on country roads where the number of collisions is much greater. We also know that far too many young people are injured or killed every year in car accidents, so hopefully this campaign can bring about some much-needed behavioural change among the nation’s least-experienced drivers which helps to keep everyone safe on our rural roads.”

The campaign comes as part of a wide range of safety initiatives, including the recent research project ‘Driver2020’ which considers the different ways to make young drivers safer, more confident and more skilful in their first year of driving.