driver-qualification-handbook-english

2Passengers and crash riskOther passengers can have quite an influence on your driving. Did you know thatyoung drivers have a higher crash risk when travelling with passengers of muchthe same age than when travelling alone? This is particularly true for young males.But the risk of crashing is reduced for young male drivers when they have an olderfemale passenger (eg their mum) or their girlfriend.Experts think that young male passengers tend to distract young male drivers bywhat they say and do in the car. They may even encourage the driver to do riskythings such as speeding and driving aggressively.Crash riskSource (14)Friendsin carMalealonein carOlder Girlfriendwoman in carin carDriving to distractionDistractions carry the highest risk when you are trying to do something complicatedlike turning right in heavy traffic or trying to select a safe gap to cross a busyintersection. You’ve probably noticed that you sometimes stop talking to passengerswhen you are trying to do these things or ask them to stop talking to you whenyou are busy. This is a good thing as it reduces your ‘mental load’ and reduces theamount of attention you need to give to less important things.When you are distracted or your attention is divided, you are more likely to makemistakes. This means that you should avoid or minimise distractions when you drive,particularly when you are engaged in complex driving actions.58Driver qualification handbook