Everything you ever thought about P-platers is … true

Eight in 10 P-platers and more than half of learner drivers ­engaged in risky driving at least once in their past 10 trips.

Reader questions why P-platers are allowed to drive vehicles capable of high speeds. Photo: FILE

Eight in 10 P-platers and more than half of learner drivers ­engaged in risky driving at least once in their past 10 trips, a ­national study of 16 and 17-year-old drivers reveals.

Speeding and driving when tired and drowsy were the two most common risks, the Growing Up in Australia longitudinal study of Australian children has found.

“One in six learners had ­exceeded the speed limit by ­between 10 and 25km/h on a ­recent trip and one in four had driven when fatigued — two ­behaviours commonly implicated in serious road crashes,” report author and Australian Institute of Family Studies research fellow Suzanne Vassallo said. She noted the most common risky driving was speeding by up to 10km/h over the limit and driving while drowsy.

Ms Vassallo said the study of 3000 young people also found about 4 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs within the past 12 months, and about one in 10 had been a passenger of a driver who was under the influence.

“Teens who had been a passenger of a driver under the influence were much more likely to drive under the influence themselves, showing that the attitudes and behaviours of parents and friends may have a strong influence on young people’s driving behaviour,” she said.

Ms Vassallo added that teens who drank alcohol or used marijuana were more likely to engage in all types of risky driving, but particularly drink- and drug-driving. “Alcohol use was also strongly linked with drowsy driving and speeding, while marijuana use was strongly related to failure to wear a seatbelt.”

Australian Institute of Family Studies director Anne Hollonds said: “Drivers are at their highest risk of being involved in a crash during their first year of driving unsupervised. It’s important to … iron out any bad habits before they take hold,” she said.