AND MAKE ROADS SAFE REPORT AT SILVERSTONE CLASSIC.

 ■Quarter of young drivers crash in first six months ■AA Trust calls for under 17 driver training ■AA Trust offers 1,000 free courses for new drivers at riskThe perfect storm of circumstances surrounding drivers first accidents has been revealed in a new report, launched by 1992 Formula 1 Champion Nigel Mansell today at the Silverstone Classic powered by the AA as the worlds biggest motor racing festival got under way.Key findings of the report, Young Drivers at Risk, centre on a survey of motorists on the AA/Populus* panel who have been involved in car crashes and shows new drivers are most at risk on the roads in the first six months or so after passing their test.These drivers revealed nearly 40 per cent of them had crashed by the time they were 23 years old. The results also showed a quarter (26 per cent) had crashed within two years of gaining their licence.Analysis of these drivers first crashes shows: ■23 per cent of 18-24 year olds had crashed within six months of passing their test ■One third of 18-24 year olds have been involved in an accident when driving ■28 per cent had crashed by the time they were 21 years of age ■First crashes are most likely to happen in the day timeonly 13 per cent happen at night ■Most people have their first accident without passengers in the car (63 per cent) ■Bad weather was a factor in 15 per cent of first accidents ■47 per cent had their first crash on a single carriageway or in a rural area ■Five per cent of drivers had their first crash on a motorbikeThe report highlights the dangers new and young drivers face on the roads, both at home and abroad, and shows ways their safety can be improved.Compiled jointly by the AA Charitable Trust and the Make Roads Safe campaign, during the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, the report will be launched at AA World at the Silverstone Classic.As part of its commitment to improving road safety in the UK, the AA Charitable Trust has pledged another 1,000 free driver improvement courses for new drivers at risk**.Drive Confident and Drive Smart are both taught by AA Driving School instructors and help nervous, lapsed or over-confident drivers update their skills to stay safe on the roads.These courses are partly funded by a grant from the FIA Foundation. The grant is also being used to create a template for the courses so other motoring organisations can implement similar schemes worldwide.Nigel Mansell, a Member of the Commission for Global Road Safety, said: I became a World Champion by driving fast. I love cars and racing. But I know the place for speed is on a race track, not on the road.While road deaths among the young remain a serious problem here in the UK, in many parts of the world they have become nothing less than a crisis out of control.Someone is being killed or maimed every six seconds.  It is an epidemic that is set to double within the next few years unless we take action.This is a vitally important issue which doesnt get enough attention. Too many of our young people are still being killed or injured on the roads. These are preventable tragedies.The report calls for young drivers to be given more opportunities to drive in a safe, off-road environment before they turn 17. Almost three quarters (73 per cent) of UK motorists believe this would make young drivers safer.It also shows ways in which education could be improved for young people, many years before they even think about getting into the driving seat.Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: Its no secret that new and young drivers are disproportionately represented in road crashes and we need to work together to stem this tide of carnage.Road safety education must be a life skill that starts at the age of three but is continually refreshed throughout life. It needs to begin many years before someone is old enough to apply for their provisional licence.Our survey shows one quarter of 18-24 year olds who have had a crash had crashed within six months of taking their test. We must change this. By the age of 17 attitudes towards driving will already have been largely formed. If teenagers have had interesting and practical road safety education they are less likely to take dangerous risks when they get behind the wheel alone.We must also remember that when driving, practical training counts for nothing if the driver is impaired through drink, drugs and driver distractions such as mobile phones.Road crashes are not only the leading cause of death and injury for young people in the UK, but also across the world. We need safer drivers in safer cars on safer roads to reduce these preventable deaths in the UK and across the globe.