Young adults most likely to feel unsafe as passengers but least likely to speak up
Westmeath County Council uses new virtual reality technology to promote road safety with Loreto College, Mullingar
Research on attitudes to motor safety has shown that almost half (45pc) of 18-24-year-olds have felt unsafe travelling as a passenger in a car on more than one occasion, and 5pc of the same age group feel unsafe frequently.
Those aged 18-24 are 61pc least likely to tell the driver that they felt unsafe in the car.
• 1 in 4 (27pc) of 18-24-year-olds felt unsafe as a passenger due to the driver sending or reading texts while driving;
• 1 in 3 (33pc) young adults admit they don’t always wear a seatbelt while driving;
• 1 in 3 (31pc) of drivers aged 18-24 claim they like to drive fast and that they believe their reactions are good enough to avoid any hazards;
• Half (48pc) of 25-34-year-olds admit to phone usage while at traffic lights.
Those surveyed are least likely to feel safest when travelling with friends (13pc) and most likely to feel safest (63pc) when driven by their partners. Only 22pc of those surveyed felt safest when travelling as a passenger with their grandparent(s).
Your Life Your Choice, sponsored by Aviva insurance, is a nationwide road safety training program incorporating virtual reality (VR) technology, with the aim of providing vital road safety training to teenagers.
The VR headsets aim to make the virtual possibilities of dangerous driving a reality for young people.
The VR headsets provide a unique seven-minute simulation experience of a serious road incident, and the user is fully immersed as a front seat passenger in a crash scenario.
Users will witness the dangerous behaviour that contributes when drivers are involved in serious accidents, including mobile phone use while driving, distractions from other passengers, speed, stopping distance.
They will also witness the immediate aftermath of a serious accident from when the emergency services arrive on the scene.
Cllr Frankie Keena, cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, said: “We welcome this initiative to further educate our young people on the importance of road safety. This is a tremendous example of how technology can be used innovatively in helping to change the behaviour of all road users.”
Cllr Aoife Davitt, a teacher at Loreto College, liaised with Westmeath County Council road safety officer, Colm Smith, to arrange availability of the VR headsets. She said: “We are delighted to be supporting this campaign, which we hope will drive awareness of the importance of driver safety and protect young lives on our roads.”
Post Primary schools around Westmeath will be contacted with details for booking the VR headsets.