The AA Charitable Trust

Young people are being urged to ‘belt up in the back’ as new data highlights the staggering numbers killed in car crashes not wearing their seatbelts.

New analysis by The AA Charitable Trust shows almost half (43%) of young passengers (17-29) who die in car crashes are not belted.

Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of death by around 50 per cent, meaning up to around one quarter of all young car passenger deaths could be avoided if all young passengers put their belts on.

When the data*, provided exclusively to the AA Charitable Trust, is analysed across all ages, unbelted fatalities fall to 27% of car passengers, highlighting the disproportionate number of young passengers being killed when not wearing their seatbelt.

Young, male car passengers are more likely to die unbelted in a car crash than their female peers. The research, based on five years of car crash data where seatbelt wearing status was known, shows 68% of young passengers who die unbelted are male. These crashes are also more likely to happen at night, with 74% of young, unbelted, passenger fatalities happening in the night or evening.

New Department for Transport data shows the rate of seatbelt non-wearing fatalities for car occupants is highest for rear seat passengers (40%). Weekends also show the highest rates of non-seatbelt wearing among car fatalities (28% Saturday; 30% Sunday).**

Drivers

As drivers, young people are also needlessly dying due to not wearing their seatbelt. The AA Trust analysis shows one third (29%) of young drivers (17-29) who die in car crashes are not belted. Staggeringly, 95% of these are male.

Overall, 32% of drivers who died unbelted were aged 17-29, despite this age group only accounting for around 14% of driving licences***.

The AA Charitable Trust has carried out the analysis to mark the start of a new focus on the importance of wearing a seatbelt, particularly among young people.

Attitudinal research

Additional research, commissioned exclusively by the AA Trust****, into attitudes to wearing seatbelts among new and learner drivers shows:

AA/Yonder polling***** of qualified drivers shows one in twenty (5%) of drivers would take their seatbelt off to change clothes and a small, but significant, minority (2%) would remove their seatbelt to change seats in a moving vehicle.

The AA Charitable Trust has launched a new Seatbelts Factsheet

The AA Charitable Trust recently called for six penalty points for new drivers caught not wearing their seatbelts, under a raft of proposed measures to improve new driver safety.

There also needs to be a continued focus on the importance of seatbelt wearing to help reduce the number of people needlessly killed every year.

Edmund King, Director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “Wearing a seatbelt is the single most effective way to protect yourself, and others in the car with you, from death and serious injury.

“It is an utter tragedy that young people are dying as passengers and drivers because they have failed to put their seatbelt on.

“This research marks the start of a renewed focus from the AA Trust on the simple importance of wearing a seatbelt. We hope our calls will unite others from across the road safety network, including driving schools, to ensure the message reaches the young people most at risk.

“Our message to young passengers is clear – belt up in the back – it could save your life, and the lives of others in the car with you.”

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “This stark data highlights a preventable tragedy. Far too many young lives are being cut short simply because seatbelts aren’t being worn.

“We’re committed to working alongside road safety organisations and through initiatives like our THINK! ‘CLICK’ campaign, which reminds young people of the life-saving importance of them and their friends belting up whatever the journey. A simple ‘CLICK’ can save lives.”

Case study: Phoebe Johnson

Phoebe Johnson, from Swadlincote, was days away from her 18th birthday when she died in a car crash as a passenger in October 2021. The driver and a front seat passenger both survived the crash but Phoebe, who was in the back and not wearing her seatbelt, passed away as a result of her injuries.

Phoebe’s mother, Nicky Johnson, describes what happened:

“Phoebe was spirited and kind, she loved her family and friends and was doing well at college. It was her time.

“I dropped her off at a friend’s house where they were house sitting about 15 miles away from home. I had arranged to pick her up at 9:30am the next morning, but the next time I saw her was in the hospital.

“Me and my husband were woken at midnight that night to the sound of a siren, blue lights and a banging on our front door.

“Two police officers told us Phoebe had been in a car crash and was very ill in hospital. They drove us to the hospital where we received the devastating news that Phoebe had suffered catastrophic head and neck injuries and there was nothing they could do to reverse any damage. Phoebe passed away at 5.10am on Saturday 23 October 2021.

“It turns out the 19-year-old driver of the car had been drinking all afternoon. There was no need for them to go for a drive – it was a drive for the sake of driving.

“The driver, who received a three year custodial sentence for causing death by careless driving, overtook another vehicle and then lost control on a bend on the dark country lane they were travelling on.

“The other two people in the car with Phoebe, who were wearing seatbelts, survived. We want to support this campaign to help ensure people understand the importance of wearing a seatbelt and, hopefully, prevent other families going through a similar tragedy.”

Case study: Josh Longman

Josh Longman died in a car crash on November 29th, 2023, just a few weeks after celebrating his 20th birthday.

On the morning of the collision, Josh was leaving for work as an apprentice boat builder in Hythe, Southampton.

His mother, Kelly Longman, talks about Josh and describes what happened:

“Josh was my eldest son. He was hard working, cheeky and mischievous, generous, kind, loyal and extremely funny. He loved life. Loved working and being independent. Loved his friends. If someone needed help, he would be there. He loved his brother and sister. His dad died in 2019, so for 4 years before his death, we were a very close unit of four. He was looking forward to finishing his apprenticeship in the summer of 2025 and travelling around Europe with a friend.

“Despite being known to wear his seatbelt, on this occasion he found it jammed and drove to work without wearing it.

“On his commute, his car collided with a van travelling in the opposite direction. Josh suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Although we won’t know the full details of what happened until the inquest into his death, we do know that without his seatbelt on, Josh had no chance of survival. If only he had called friends and asked for help getting to work that morning, he would still be with us.

“His death has absolutely shattered us. We will never be the same. We are devastated and I shall miss him for the rest of my life.

“If his story can help make anyone think about the importance of using a seatbelt, it would give me small comfort.”

*Data source: DfT Stats19 ‘Car occupant fatalities in reported road collisions 2019 to 2023: counts of seatbelt worn/not worn by sex, age, seating position and time of day’. All analysis based on crashes where seatbelt wearing status is known

**Reported road casualties Great Britain: fatal 4 - seatbelt factsheet, 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

***NTS Licence holding data

****FirstCar research of 1,734 new and learner drivers June 2023

*****Yonder received 13,122 responses from AA members to its online poll between the 14th to 21st March 2023. Yonder is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

The AA Charitable Trust was awarded a grant from the Road Safety Trust towards completing a project raising awareness of the risks young drivers face on rural roads, with a specific focus on which roads pose the greatest risk.

The campaign aimed to:

1. Create and deliver an awareness campaign that informs young drivers about dangers specifically posed in rural areas.
2. Inform young drivers, driving instructors and parents in identified ‘hotspots’ about the dangers facing young drivers in those areas – and how they can help mitigate them.
3. Raise awareness of the dangers of rural drivers amongst the general driving population

The Trust worked with analysts at Agilysis through the Road Safety Foundation to map the risk on rural roads based on six years’ worth of crash data.

The research is summarised in this REPORT

The map can be viewed here: AA Young Rural Drivers

The campaign was launched in May 2021 with a national media story

See the AA's Motoring News pages for the latest updates

For more information about the dangers of rural roads visit our advice page HERE

The next stage of the AA Charitable Trust’s Young Rural Drivers’ campaign will focus on Caitlin Huddleston, who tragically died in a car crash on the A595 in Cumbria when she was just 18.

Caitlin’s life will be celebrated in a one-hour long radio programme, Caitlin’s Hour, A Late-Night Show to Remember on Sunday June 6th. It will run across Kerrang! Radio and Hits Radio Network regional radio stations between 2am and 3am – a time the AA Trust research has pinpointed represents a significant risk to young drivers on rural roads, particularly for crashes involving fatigue or substance impairment. 

#drowsydriver

It’s estimated that up to 25% of fatal accidents are caused by drivers who have fallen asleep at the wheel, so in November 2018 the AA Charitable Trust launched a campaign highlighting the dangers of drowsy driving.

 The campaign aims to:

• Highlight the problem of drowsy driving
• Educate drivers on what action to take if they become tired when driving
• Provide supportive information to drivers about how they can improve their sleep

Research*carried out for the campaign launch shows:

• One in eight (13%) UK drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel
• Nearly two fifths (37%) say they have been so tired they have been scared they would fall asleep when driving
• Men (17%) are three times as likely as women (5%) to say they have fallen asleep at the wheel
• Young drivers, aged 18-to-24, are the most likely to say being very tired does not affect their driving ability (13% compared to 2% of all drivers).
• Young drivers are also the most likely age group to say they normally carry on regardless if they feel tired while driving (18% compared to 3% of all drivers).

The campaign features a thought-provoking advert, created by Adam&EveDDB, designed to wake drivers up to the dangers of fatigue.

Our advice on tiredness and managing fatigue when driving

* AA-Populus motoring panel survey, 11-17 September 2018. 20,561 respondents

The AA Trust has launched the first ever Drive Electric course, free of charge and specifically geared to those who want to get the best out of driving electric vehicles (EVs). 

The announcement was made by Edmund King OBE, Chairman of the AA Trust at the launch of the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) in Milton Keynes on 20 July 2017.

Edmund King, AA Trust Chairman, said: “We want to help drivers understand this exciting new technology at the EV Experience Centre but we also want to help them get the most out of their electric cars. 

“Drive Electric sessions, conducted by AA instructors, can either be carried out in the driver’s own electric car, or in one of the EV Experience Centre’s test drive fleet. The EV Experience and Drive Electric experiences will really put Milton Keynes on the map as the most go-to EV City in the World.”

About Drive Electric

The session introduces participants to electric cars, driving techniques and how to obtain the best and most economical performance.

It includes:

• Connecting and disconnecting to a charge point
• Introduction to controls
• Energy consumption displays
• Charge rate and range
• Eco features including ‘B’ and ‘Eco’ modes and remote climate control
• On the road driving techniques including using regenerative braking and the most economical use of available energy
• Finding and using suitable charge points including long journey planning and different types of charging point

Bookings for a session, which is free-of-charge, should be made through the Milton Keynes Electric Vehicle Experience Centre.

25 July 2017

#NeverTextDrive

Cadence

In November 2016 the AA Trust started a year long campaign to try to change attitudes and behaviours around driver distraction. 

The campaign kicked off with the launch of a new film, 'Cadence'. A young film-maker became so uncomfortable by her peers’ driving and use of mobiles at the wheel that she has produced a film with a safety twist, thanks to funding from the AA Charitable Trust.

Designated driver

In the next phase of the campaign, and timed to coincide with the increase in penalties for hand-held mobile phone offences on 1 March 2017, the AA Charitable Trust and Think! are raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving with a new ad by adam&eveDDB to be shown in cinemas, video on demand, and online.

The ad highlights the danger of texting whilst driving with a narrative that follows a couple leaving a nightclub: the woman, who is the designated driver for her intoxicated boyfriend, starts to reply to a text as they start their journey. The boyfriend notices and suggests they swap places, in a move that makes a bold statement on the dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving.

In March 2014, we launched a national 'Think Bikes!' awareness campaign with support from British Cycling and The Motorcycle Industry Association.

One million stickers

Initially one million free stickers were distributed to drivers as a reminder to do a ‘double-take’ in their mirrors for cycles and motorcycles in their blind spots. It's proposed that the cycle sticker is placed on the passenger’s side and the motorcycle one on the driver’s side.

Free stickers can be picked up from all Halfords outlets and will also be distributed by the police and directly to breakdown-cover members in renewal and joining packs.

Original concept

The original sticker concept came from Tony Rich, AA Patrol of the Year, after his friend, Jack Bellis, was killed in a motorcycle crash. Tony and Jack’s family wanted to do something to help prevent such crashes in the future.

Launch

The campaign was launched on Friday 7 March at Marble Arch, London, with the help of famous Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman, 20 times TT winner John McGuinness and with support from the Metropolitan Police.

'New Deal'

For the AA, Think Bikes! is part of its ongoing commitment to improve road safety for all road users and forms part of the 'New Deal' for road users the organisation is championing; where all road users agree to stick to the rules of the road and treat each other with respect.

Those on two wheels never appear from nowhere

According to Edmund King, AA president and Director of the AA Charitable Trust: “The AA Think Bikes! campaign is definitely needed when AA-Populus research shows that half of drivers are often surprised when a cyclist or motorcyclist ‘appears from nowhere’. Those on two wheels never appear from nowhere so as drivers we need to be more alert to other road users and this is where our stickers act as a daily reminder. Likewise riders need to be aware that they may not always be spotted by drivers. We hope that this campaign can reach the parts that other campaigns can’t reach."

AA's 'Think Bikes' goes global

The award-winning UK road safety initiative, which encourages all drivers to do a double-take in their mirrors for those on two wheels, is being rolled out globally by the FIA, the world motoring organisation.

It now has the potential to reach millions more drivers across the 111 FIA motoring clubs in the region.

Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: "We are so proud of how well received the campaign has been in its first year and are delighted by this latest development.

"To think that our campaign has already gone global so early in its life is fantastic and I hope it is as successful abroad as it has been here."

Pan-European launch of 'Think bikes' in Brussels on 21 April 2015 »

Belgian Club video featuring cycling legend Eddy Merckx »

Award winning campaign

Think Bikes! has won the following awards:

2013 FIA Region 1 Innovation Award

2014 ACFO Fleet Safety Initiative of the Year

Our Drive Smart course offers free eco-safe driver-training packages.

We aim to help new drivers 'most at risk' who have passed their driving test in the last twelve months and had an accident or have points on their licence.

• 20% of new drivers have a crash within 12 months of passing their test.
• A young driver is 10 times more likely to be involved in a serious collision than a more experienced driver.
• Teenagers are more likely to die on the roads than from stabbings or drugs.

Drive Smart was launched in January 2009, initially to offer 2,000 totally free eco-safe driver training packages (two one-hour sessions with a fully-qualified AA driving instructor) designed specifically for us to help new drivers. 

Supported by transport ministers, Drive Smart focuses on improving safety as well as 'eco-driving' techniques to cut fuel consumption.

Partners

We work closely with a number of partners, including some police forces, to promote 'Drive Smart' – Greater Manchester, North Wales and Northamptonshire police were the first on board.

In police forces running the scheme, new drivers stopped and cautioned or charged with offences such as not wearing a seatbelt or using a mobile phone while driving are written to by the police force and encouraged to apply for Drive Smart courses.

We continue to work closely with police forces that have expressed an interest in Drive Smart, and with other potential partners.

Read more and apply for a Drive Smart course.

Drive confident offers free guided tuition and practice for qualified drivers lacking confidence.

If you're a qualified driver who'd like refresher driver training to increase your confidence on the road, you could be eligible for free training with one of our qualified driving instructors.

Our course offers two hours (two one-hour slots, or one two-hour slot) free guided tuition and practice for qualified drivers who lack confidence in some areas of driving, or who might need some refresher training.

The in-car sessions include an initial assessment followed by guided practice and coaching. An accompanying workbook supports the in-car sessions.

Benefits:

If you have a full licence and have returned to driving after not driven for a long time, then this could help you.

Some concerns or difficulties can be:

• driving at night or in heavy rain/fog
• driving in heavy traffic or rush-hour conditions
• driving on motorways or dual carriageways
• parking
• roundabouts
• busy junctions/traffic lights
• overtaking

Read more and apply for a Drive Confident course.

Motorways carry 21% of the traffic but account for just 5.4% of fatalities which makes them safer than other types of roads. However, motorway-phobia is increasing as a growing number who do not understand the new ‘smart’ motorways join those drivers who have always been petrified of motorways.

According to research from the AA Populus motoring panel:

• Almost half of motorists know friends or family who avoid driving on motorways.
• More than one in 10 women say that they themselves avoid driving on motorways due to nerves.
• A quarter of drivers are even nervous when they know that family or friends are making a journey on a motorway.

Free courses

To help drivers overcome their fears, we offer 2,000 free Drive Motorway two-hour courses.

Nigel Mansell helped launch a joint AA Charitable Trust and Make Roads Safe report into young driver safety at the Silverstone Classic on 20 July 2012.

The report reveals the ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances surrounding drivers’ first accidents.

Key findings of the report centre on a survey of motorists on the AA-Populus panel who have been involved in car crashes.

Drivers revealed that nearly 40% of them had crashed by the time they were 23 years old.

The results also show that a quarter (26%) had crashed within two years of gaining their licence.

Read the Young drivers at risk (PDF) report.

We were awarded a grant through the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme to fund:

• Around 4,000 hours of free Drive Confident and Drive Smart courses.
• Customer research of course participants.
• The development of a template to help other FIA member clubs roll-out similar schemes.

Feedback from participants in the UK shows the availability of free refresher courses for qualified drivers has a real impact on their ability to drive safely and competently.

We hope the template will encourage other clubs to improve the standard of driving in their country by developing similar courses.

The template gives guidance on how to develop similar schemes.

Download the template as a PDF.

Typically, learning to drive is something young people only get the chance to do with the support of their parents, or other immediate family members.

But the freedom driving brings can help young people get a job, travel to work, build an independent life and manage their own social arrangements – vital steps for all young people, but particularly for those in care who may struggle to feel in control over their own lives.

Drive for opportunity set out to provide driving lessons for four teenagers within the Bristol care system.

The pilot project was a collaboration between the AA Charitable Trust and AA Driving School, Bristol City Council and Professor David Berridge from the School for Policy Studies at Bristol University.

The AA Trust funded the tuition, which was provided by AA Driving School instructors around Bristol and also monitored the progress of each participant. Bristol City Council provided additional support to the young people involved, through their care team.

A second stage was launched and three other councils joined the project and put forward young care leavers to take part. During this stage The AA Charitable Trust funded £8,000 of driving lessons with the AA Driving School.

Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “This project has been a real learning curve for us and has paved the way for us taking part in similar ventures again."

“Learning to drive is a life skill that many young people take for granted. It is difficult to fully appreciate how useful driving is, as teenagers make the transition to full independence. Driving is something most teenagers in care never get to experience and they are often the young people who need the most help to build a secure and independent future. "

Evaluation

Evaluation of the pilot project         

Evaluation of the second stage (pdf)         

Executive Summary of the project (pdf)

New AA-Populus research shows that young drivers value their licence on a par with a degree or marriage (10 May 2018)

(updated 10 May 2018)

Our trustees are considering a number of possible ideas for new initiatives in the future.

Motorcycle safety

Motorcycles make up approximately 1% of traffic but account for 20% of fatalities

We are considering several options to tackle motorcycle safety including the possibility of providing support to 'bike safe' and 'scooter safe' schemes.

Drug driving

Half of drivers believe that drug driving is a more common problem than drink driving
Over 50,000 drivers a year would fail roadside 'drugalyzer' tests if such devices were being used by UK police forces.

We are considering creating a schools education programme to take the message of the dangers of drug driving to young people 16-18 years old.

Other ideas

We are pleased to receive ideas/proposals from our members for possible future schemes aligned with charitable objectives.

These include the preservation and protection of human life and health by the prevention of personal injury to, and death of, individuals on roads and in motor vehicles in the United Kingdom in particular but not exclusively through:

• Educating road users in road safety.
• Campaigning on issues of road safety.
• Promoting understanding and awareness of road safety and eco-driving to reduce environmental impact of motoring and to protect the environment.

Contact the AA Charitable Trust with any ideas for possible future initiatives or if you would like to make a donation.