Why the first year behind the wheel is the most dangerous

For most of us, learning to drive represents freedom, independence and opportunity. 

But the first years behind the wheel are also when drivers are at their most vulnerable – and when the risks on our roads are at their highest.

Young drivers

New data from Aviva shows that inexperienced drivers are more than twice as likely to make a claim in their first year compared with motorists who have been driving longer. 

Young drivers themselves are also more likely to be killed or seriously injured. Inexperience can often manifest itself in risk-taking and poor decision-making, overconfidence or difficulty in knowing how to respond to hazards.

Owen Morris, Aviva

Behind every claim is an incident that could involve serious or life-changing injury, distress, and in the worst cases, devastating loss. 

The scale of the challenge is clear. Despite accounting for a small proportion of licence holders, young drivers are disproportionately represented in serious collisions. 

Government figures show that in 2024, one in five people killed or seriously injured in car collisions were involved in an incident with a young driver aged 17–24. 

Young drivers themselves are also more likely to be killed or seriously injured. 

One in seven car driver fatalities in 2024 involved a younger driver, and young male motorists are four times as likely to be killed or injured on UK roads. Sadly, these statistics underline the dangers 
that young drivers face. 

Inexperience can often manifest itself in risk-taking and poor decision-making, overconfidence or difficulty in knowing how to respond to hazards. 

Government data shows that aggressive driving and speeding were factors in many fatal or serious collisions involving young motorists. 

Telematics

Aviva’s own data reveals a similar pattern, but it also shows how telematics is helping to reshape the way new drivers learn and improve. 

By providing real-time feedback on behaviours such as speed, braking and cornering, telematics effectively acts as a “virtual coach” in the car. It helps drivers understand their habits, adjust their behaviour and build safer skills over time.

The impact is significant. By the end of their first driving year, data shows that new drivers on telematics policies see a near 50% reduction in collision claims, compared with around 30% for those with standard motor policies without such support. 

Even among those with the poorest driving scores, more than half of young drivers with telematics policies show measurable improvements after receiving feedback and guidance. 

This is not about surveillance or penalisation. Done properly, telematics helps to reduce premiums, builds confidence, and reassures families that younger drivers are supported – especially during higher-risk moments such as night-time driving, journeys on Aviva: Confidential
unfamiliar roads or while driving alone. 

A year of observed driving via a telematics policy can help build the foundations for a lifetime of safe driving. 

Stronger action

Given the clear benefits, the question is no longer whether telematics works, but how far we are willing to go to unlock its full potential.
There is growing public support for stronger action. 

Aviva’s research shows that nearly three-quarters of motorists believe telematics should be mandatory for young drivers, with a majority of 17 to 24-year-olds themselves in agreement. 

This reflects a broader recognition that road safety is a shared responsibility, and that targeted interventions can make a meaningful difference. 

The Government’s road safety strategy, published earlier this year, sets out to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 65% by 2035. 

This is rightly a bold ambition and it will require bold action to deliver. As part of this, we believe the government should consider making telematics policies a legal requirement for 17 to 24-year-olds in their first year on the road.

We see this as striking the right balance. Respecting the freedom (and necessity) that motoring gives young people, while recognising that the early phase of driving carries higher risks that can be mitigated through structured support. 

Increasing the take-up of telematics has multiple benefits. 

Improving driving behaviour will help to reduce accident numbers, and, in turn, this will help to lower premiums for this higher risk 
group.

The first year of driving will always involve a learning curve. But it does not have to be the most dangerous year. 

With the right tools, we can support new drivers to develop safer habits from day one – protecting not only themselves, but everyone who shares the road with them.