Overview
- The regional campaign targets 17 to 24 year olds and is run with the National Fire Chiefs Council to cut collisions and casualties.
- It identifies three high‑risk factors for new drivers: limited experience after passing, driving between 11pm and 6am, and distraction from peers.
- Recommendations include at least six months of supervised learning, avoiding late‑night driving for the first three to six months, and limiting to one similar‑age passenger.
- Official figures show 686 people aged 17 to 24 were injured in Devon and Somerset in 2024, including nine deaths and 123 serious injuries, with young men facing about four times the risk of death or serious injury compared with older drivers.
- Devon and Somerset crews attend about 850 collisions a year, the fire service and NFCC support post‑test restrictions, and the Department for Transport cites its THINK! campaign and a forthcoming strategy while ruling out graduated licences for now.