Why are youth over-represented in road crashes? Floor Lieshout

2 Exercise #1 Discuss in small groups why you think young people are over-represented in road crashes? Divide into 3 small groups minutes Use post-its to brainstorm

3 Why are young people at risk? Brain development: between yrs Prefrontal cortex: Impulse control Judgment Decision-making Reasoning

4 Why are young people at risk? Social emotional system of the brain between yrs Social stimuli Rewards Emotion wins from self-control Today I see an advert, tomorrow I buy it

5 Why are young people at risk?

6 Young people are more sensitive for social / group pressure / peer influence Some young people will take higher risks (negative and positive) than adults in search for a ´kick´ Young males are higher at risk than young females

7 Why are young people at risk? Inexperience among adolescents and young adults makes them less safe when driving a car or a motorcycle than older drivers Overestimation of their own skills Environment often not adjusted for their needs Setting speed limits Safe playgrounds Safe school areas

8 Example on the use of helmets Self-control: wearing a helmet requires a decision but some young people don’t have that self-control Emotion: feels better to drive without helmet, don’t want to ruin my hair Peer pressure: my friends are not wearing helmets so I won’t, none of my family wear helmets so why should I? Higher risks: I will speed with no helmet because it feels great and is fun Inexperience and overestimation of skill: I am a good driver, I will never get into a crash so I won’t wear my helmet Environment not adjusted to needs: helmet design does not look cool or is uncomfortable, need to pay money to keep helmets at parking lot

9 Not all young people are the same 70% 25% 5% 70% of young people are open for road safety messages and will behave OK in most circumstances 5% are ´traffic criminals´ and will do whatever they want 25% can go either way, hopefully they chose the biggest group (social validation)

10 Which group to focus? FOCUS

11 Summary Brain development Self control area: not yet developed Social / emotional area: developed Sensitive for social / peer pressure Higher risk taking Males - Females Inexperience and overestimation No safe environment Focus on the 70% group

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