Aberdeen has come ninth in a UK table that reveals the areas where learners drivers are least likely to become involved in an accident.
It sits ahead of Glasgow (11th place), Falkirk (15th), Edinburgh (17th) and Dumfries (19th), but behind Kilmarnock and Paisley who sit in third and fourth place respectively.
The Aberdeen area, with 55,292 provisional licence holders, saw nine reported road accidents involving learners
Dundee took top Scottish spot for the place most likely to see a learner meet with an accident in 2020.
The Aberdeen postcode area, which has 55,292 provisional licence holders, saw just nine reported road accidents involving learner drivers.
For comparison, the worst UK area for learner driver accidents in 2020 was Colchester, which has a total of 46,424 provisional licence holders and recorded 117 accidents.
Dundee has most learner driver collisions in Scotland
Kilmarnock has 45,363 learners and recorded only five accidents, while the town of Paisley has 44,082 learners with just six accidents recorded.
The city of Dundee, unfortunately, ranked as the worst in Scotland (ninth in the UK) with 31 accidents reported involving drivers with a provisional licence, out of 35,742 learners.
Bill Plant Driving School analysed data to discover which areas in Britain see the most risk of having a road accident during a driving lesson, by comparing the number of provisional licence holders in each city to the number of reported road accidents involving drivers with a provisional licence.
Although the driving instructor should be there to offer help and advice, learners should know a few important steps to take, regardless of who is to blame for the crash.
Advice for learner drivers involved in a collision:
- Stop the car – it is illegal to drive away from the scene of a crash, whether the damage is severe or not.
- Turn off your engine and turn on your hazard lights.
- Check for injuries on yourself and any passengers in the vehicle. Even if no one is hurt, note down the condition of all parties at the scene as this could be helpful if someone tries making an injury claim against you.
- Dial 999 for an ambulance if anyone is injured, or notify the police if the road is blocked.
- Exchange details with everyone involved, including name, address and car registration number.
- Do not admit fault – even a simple apology can be used against you when making a compensation claim
Road accidents decline worldwide
In 2020, the Department for Transport recorded a total of 115,584 road traffic accidents in Great Britain, a 25% decrease from the previous year.
Although the number of road traffic accidents is declining, in 2021 the World Health Organisation reported that road traffic accident-related injuries remain the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.
Responsible for an estimated 1.3 million worldwide fatalities, risk factors including lack of experience, aggressive driving, poor weather and speeding can increase the chances of a collision.
