Data published by the European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO) on young and novice drivers points to a significant overrepresentation of 16-24 year old drivers in road casualty statistics, with risks a factor 2 to 3 times higher than those of more experienced drivers. Globally, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds.
One of the causal factors often attributed to the increased risk of newly-qualified drivers is a lack of practical experience, making it difficult for them to anticipate hazards and make quick decisions in complex traffic situations. They are also more likely to make mistakes. The probability of their involvement in crashes may also be increased by age-related psychological factors, such as higher risk tolerance, tendency to speed and vulnerability to peer pressure. This combination places novice drivers into a high-risk category for road users. Active cooperation between governments, police, and training and licensing centres is needed to raise the standard of driver preparation and strengthen the licensing system as a critical safeguard against these risks.
Despite the risks posed by novice drivers, legislation in many low- and middle-income countries stops short of tackling this issue, and licensing systems are not always enforced consistently or efficiently. In Georgia, for example, a 2024 study found that more than 18% of crashes involved a driver with fewer than four years of experience (Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2025), a pattern reflected elsewhere in the region. The European Commission recommends strengthening the licensing of newly-qualified drivers through a minimum two-year probationary period during which offences committed by the driver would result in stricter sanctions and could even serve as grounds for revoking their licence (European Commission, 2025c).
A Cochrane review of 34 studies covering Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States found that injury crash rates involving 16 year old drivers decreased by an average of 20% following the introduction of probationary periods, largely because these periods reduce novice drivers' exposure to high-risk situations while they are most vulnerable. Given that novice drivers in low- and middle-income countries represent a high-risk group, a similar probationary period, embedded within a stronger overall licensing system, could provide tangible reductions in road crash injury rates. Within this framework, differentiated legal responses to violations, including higher financial penalties and greater deduction of licence points, would reinforce licensing as the primary safeguard, reducing novice drivers' exposure to high-risk situations and lowering their likelihood of being involved in or causing crashes.
The system for issuing driving licences and organising examinations in low- and middle-income countries, including some Eastern Partnership countries, represents an important challenge to road safety development. The quality of pre-examination driver training determines the threshold for good driving practice, yet this phase is often carried out without consistent standards or oversight. This contrasts with the practice of many EU countries, including Poland and Lithuania, where driving schools and instructors are licensed and supervised by state authorities. Reforming the examination and licensing system is therefore not simply a supporting measure but a targeted intervention in its own right, addressing the root of novice driver risk rather than its symptoms. Achieving this will require coordinated action across three areas.
Regulatory reform: Introduce a Graduated Driver Licensing System (Instead of giving full driving privileges immediately, implement a 2-year probationary period for all new drivers, regardless of age) and transition from unregulated instructors to a mandatory state-accredited system (similar to Poland and Lithuania).
Driver training reform: Audit driving schools on passing rates and future safety records of their graduates.
Enforcement reform: Require all drivers in their probationary period to display a sticker on their rear window to facilitate monitoring on the part of traffic police and indicate to other drivers to keep a safe distance.
In addition, government partners can work with insurance companies to offer lower premiums to novice drivers who voluntarily install telematics (black boxes or apps that track speed, braking, and phone usage) in their cars. Placing this technology in the cars of newly-qualified drivers will help to reframe road safety in the minds of novice drivers as not simply a set of rules to follow to avoid fines, but as a daily habit for drivers who are motivated to make safe and responsible choices behind the wheel.
Ultimately, these reforms will be most durable if novice drivers help shape them. As argued by Raquel Barrios, Director of Youth for Road Safety in her EaP RSO Editorial, road safety progress depends on shifting from youth participation to genuine power-sharing, giving young people an active role in designing the systems meant to protect them. A Safe System built with novice drivers, not only for them, is more likely to earn the trust and compliance it depends on.
