Serious accident in Wolfsburg: 17-year-old without a driver's license seriously injured

Serious accident in Wolfsburg: 17-year-old without a driver's license seriously injured

On Sunday night, a serious accident occurred in the Nordsteimke district of Wolfsburg, which narrowly saved the life of a 17-year-old. The teenager was driving a relative's vehicle without a license when he drove off the road. According to NDR, there was a collision with a guide post, followed by an accident in the adjacent ditch before the car finally came to a stop next to a pine tree. Fortunately, the vehicle's automatic emergency call was triggered, which alerted the fire department and enabled the seriously injured teenager to be rescued quickly. The young man was immediately taken to hospital while the Wolfsburg police began an investigation to determine whether he had a driving license for accompanied driving.

Why do young drivers have accidents particularly often?

Young people between the ages of 18 and 24 are up to twice as likely to have an accident on the road compared to older road users. This emerges from a current study by ADAC accident research. Young drivers are often involved in solo accidents: 29% of the same group are found to have a solo accident, while this proportion is only 18% for older drivers. Especially after the age of 18, when they can drive a car alone, the number of young people involved in accidents increases dramatically.

A look at the accident statistics shows that 76% of traffic accidents involving young drivers occur outside built-up areas on country and federal roads. Common causes are excessive speed and lack of driving experience. Another point of concern is that 18- to 24-year-olds often do not wear seatbelts, leading to more serious injuries in accidents. What is notable from the current figures is that 49% of vehicles involved in accidents in this age group are 11 years old or older, indicating the use of older and potentially less safe vehicles.

The numbers speak for themselves

In 2020, 50,210 young adults in the 18 to 24 age group were injured in road traffic in Germany, including 326 fatal accidents. Eric K., a young driver, fills a statistic that always produces worrying numbers. Compared to the 7.5% of the total population, this age group accounts for 15.5% of all those injured and 12% of those killed in road traffic. This shows that road safety is a serious issue for young drivers.

There are also positive trends to report: the number of young drivers involved in accidents is falling in the long term. In 1991 there were 134,764 young adults affected, while by 2020 this number had been reduced to just 326. Measures such as the “Accompanied Driving from 17” program and strict alcohol bans for novice drivers have obviously contributed to safety on the road.

The tragedy of the accident in Nordsteimke should serve as a warning example for all young drivers. It is to be hoped that such incidents will become less frequent in the future and one thing is very clear: safety comes first, both for yourself and for other road users.