Young drivers under the age of 24 were 85% more likely to be involved in road accidents in 2024 than drivers over the age of 25 and 135% more likely to cause injury to another party according to claims data released by leading insurer AXA today.
AXA’s internal claims data also shows that young male drivers were 43% more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents than females last year.
AXA has shared this data to mark the launch its national Roadsafe Roadshow for 2025, aimed at Transition Year students across the country.
The first Roadsafe Roadshow event of 2025 is taking place at the O’Reilly Hall in University College Dublin, with schools from across the south Dublin area in attendance.
The AXA Roadsafe Roadshow, now in its 16th year, is run in association with An Garda Síochána, members of the emergency services and local authorities.
In 2025 the AXA Roadsafe Roadshow will visit 10 locations across Ireland and will be attended by an estimated 18,000 Transition Year students.
The event provides a hard-hitting recreation of a night out that ends in tragedy with a serious road accident, along with detailed first-hand accounts from the first responders to road traffic accidents, the survivor of an accident and Leo Lieghio, the father of Marsia Lieghio who died following a road traffic accident in Clondalkin.
The AXA Roadsafe Roadshow encourages the next generation of young road users to actively consider the importance of road safety and the impact that dangerous driving, speeding, substance use and distracted driving can have on themselves and others.
To further support safer driving among young road users, AXA has partnered with the Irish School of Motoring (ISM) to provide the twelve Essential Driver Training lessons at a discounted rate. Speaking at the launch of the AXA Roadsafe Roadshow, Mick Comerford, Retail Direct Director, AXA said,
“For young people getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time and learning to drive is an exciting milestone in their lives. However, with that additional independence comes responsibility to drive safely for yourself and for all road users. Our data shows that young drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in road accidents than older drivers. The AXA Roadsafe Roadshow, which has been running since 2009, aims to provide young people on the verge of learning to drive with an honest and unfiltered account of how dangerous driving can destroy lives.”
