Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Monitoring Report 2023 has been published today - Thursday 27 March 2025
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Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Monitoring Report 2023 has been produced by Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB). The report provides the Official Statistics (OS) that will be used to assess the impact of GDL on road safety, as and when it is implemented.
The publication is available on the ASRB website at: Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) monitoring report | Department for Infrastructure
Key Points
In 2023:
- Drivers aged 17 to 23 were deemed responsible for 21% of all fatal or serious (KSI) collisions, yet they accounted for just 8% of car driving licence holders. Therefore, drivers aged 17 to 23 are over-represented in collision statistics. These proportions are slightly lower than the 2012-2016 baseline proportions of 25% and 9%, respectively.
- There were 219 KSI casualties that resulted from collisions involving a car driver aged 17 to 23. This is just one more than the average recorded in 2012-2016 (218).
- There were 153 KSI casualties that resulted from collisions where a car driver aged 17 to 23 was responsible for the collision – an increase of 4% on the 2012-2016 baseline average of 147.
- There were 53 car passengers killed or seriously injured in 2023 while travelling with a car driver aged 17 to 23, and of these, over three-quarters (77%) were aged 14-20. This is a 16% percentage point increase from the 2012-2016 baseline average proportion of 61%.
- There were 17 KSI casualties resulting from collisions involving motorcyclists aged 17 to 23. This was 17% lower than the 2012-2016 average of 20.6.
- There were 8 KSI casualties resulting from collisions involving motorcyclists aged 17 to 23 who were responsible for the collision. This was 26% lower than the 2012-2016 average of 10.8.
In 2019-2023:
- A car driver aged 17 to 23 was involved in an annual average of 135 of the 449 (30%) KSI casualties that were injured on rural roads, and in an annual average of 15% (51 of 347) urban KSIs, 22% (10 of 43) dual carriageway KSIs and 28% (3 in 12) of motorway KSIs.
- 49% of young passenger KSIs aged 14 to 20 travelling in a car with a driver aged 17 to 23, occurred at the weekend and 39% occurred between the hours of 11pm and 6am.
- The most frequently reported principal causation for KSI collisions caused by drivers aged 17 to 23 was ‘Excessive speed’ with just under one-fifth (19%) of all KSI collisions with a driver aged 17 to 23 responsible reported this principal causation. The most frequently reported principal causation for KSI collisions by motorcyclist aged 17 to 23 was “Inattention or attention diverted”, just over one-fifth (23%) of all KSI collisions with a motorcyclist aged 17 to 23 responsible reporting this principal causation.
- Just over three-tenths (31%) of all KSI casualties injured in 2019-2023 occurred in darkness. A slightly lower proportion of KSIs that were caused by motorcyclists aged 17-23 occurred in the dark – 30%. In comparison, however, a much greater proportion of KSIs that were caused by car drivers aged 17-23 occurred in the dark – nearly half (47%). The equivalent proportions in 2012-2016 were 35%, 30% and 48%, respectively.
Notes to editors:
- The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Monitoring Report, 2023 is the eighth publication in the series reporting data that will be used to assess the impact of GDL on road safety. The report presents the most recently available data, providing the current picture immediately ahead of the launch of GDL. It is intended that this report will be updated annually.
- Overall statistics for collisions involving and caused by drivers and motorcyclists aged 17 to 23 are first examined. These data are typically based on the period 1 January to 31 December 2023 and compares with a baseline of 2012-2016 established in the first report in the series. Future trends in these data will help determine how the introduction of GDL has contributed to changes in collisions statistics.
- Further data that will be used to monitor the Programme of Training are then presented, including an examination of fatal and serious collisions by road type and principal causation factors. These data are typically based on the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023.
- Previously information was presented in relation to the Publicity and Communications Strategy, which derived from the Continuous Household Survey (CHS). These questions were last included in 2022/23.
- Previously information was presented in relation to learning to drive and driving tests; however, this section has been excluded due to issues extracting the data from the DVA systems.
- The Department can use the information presented in this publication to support policy development and monitor the effectiveness of the Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme, once it is implemented.
- Further information and electronic copies of the Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Monitoring Report, 2023 are available at: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/graduated-driver-licensing-gdl-monitoring-report
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