Deaths on the roads now part of young lives

Figures from the AA show 67 per cent of the UK's 16 and 17-year-olds know at least one road casualty, with 22 per cent saying they know three or more.

By their 18th birthdays, more than one driver in 10 has been involved in a crash involving an injury or a death, the research has revealed.

The survey also showed Yorkshire has one of the country's highest levels of young people who know someone who has been involved in a road crash

Almost two-thirds – 64 per cent – of 16 to 25-year-olds questioned in the region told the AA poll they knew a road accident victim. Only East Anglia and the North East in England had higher rates.

Northern Ireland had the highest figure in the UK – with 75 per cent of drivers said to know someone who had been involved in a traffic accident.

The poll was based on responses from 2,000 people aged 16 to 25. Two-thirds of the respondents thought young people themselves had a bigger role to play in reducing the number traffic accidents involving their age group.

This compared with just 10 per cent who thought parents had the biggest role to play in reducing accidents. Seven per cent thought the Government should take the lead.

More than a third of those questioned called for more training for motorway, night-time and wet weather driving, while 30 per cent said road safety should be added to the school curriculum.

AA Driving School director Simon Douglas said: "Road tragedies have hit young social networks right across the country.

"These same networks influence attitudes and behaviour, which are the true causes of many crashes involving young drivers."