√Expert calls on governments to help young drivers buy safer cars

The average age of first cars bought by young drivers is increasing, prompting renewed calls for state governments to provide financial assistance to get vulnerable motorists into newer, safer vehicles.

Head on: ANCAP crashed a 1998 Toyota Corolla with its 2015 cousin.

One of the key reasons novice drivers are over-represented in fatal crashes – beyond inexperience and risk-taking behaviour – is because a large proportion own – or are given the keys to – older, less safe cars.

Now a leading road safety expert has called on more state governments offer financial assistance to those in need – to get more young drivers into newer, safer used cars.

A leading road safety expert has called on Australia’s state governments to introduce financial incentives for young drivers to buy newer and safer secondhand vehicles, after new data revealed the average age – and price – of cars bought by first-time drivers in Queensland have dramatically increased in recent years.

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) released the results of its 2022 Young Driver Survey earlier this week – with 577 road users aged between 16 and 24 years old responding to questions about their motoring experience.

According to the survey data, the average age of a first car in Queensland was 13.7 years old at the end of 2022 – down half a year from the 2018 peak of 14.2 years old, but representing a jump of 1.5 years compared to its 2021 survey (11.2 years old) and 3.7 years from 2020 (10 years old).

The survey data also shows the average build date of a young Queensland motorist’s first car has slowly crept backwards across the past three years, from early-2010 in 2020 and late-2009 in 2021, to mid-2008 in 2022.

This ageing fleet of cars in the hands of young drivers means a higher proportion of inexperienced motorists are behind the wheel of vehicles without electronic stability control (ESC), which can prevent a skid, particularly in wet weather or on a slippery road.

Electronic stability control was mandated for all new cars launched in Australia from November 2011, though the the life-saving safety technology did not become compulsory in all new passenger vehicles on sale until November 2013 – almost one decade ago.

Road safety expert and director of driver-training company Driving Solutions, James Stewart, believes Australia’s state governments should adopt a ‘reverse-HECS’ system for young drivers – providing financial access to more modern and safer cars which can be paid back.

“I think anything that can get young drivers into a 10-year-old car (or newer) with a five-star safety rating has got to be a good thing,” Mr Stewart told Drive.

“We see young drivers making their first mistake on a public road, which could cost someone their life or lead to serious injuries. Having a car with at least a five-star safety rating is a massive thing which should be pushed for all young drivers.

“While I see people driving cars with no safety technology day-to-day, they’re usually a more experienced driver who can handle it. For a young driver with no experience, it’s dangerous on the roads.

“Young drivers do make mistakes and go too fast, but then that’s the next step which really catches people out. Making it easier for younger drivers to get into the most modern car they can afford is a great thing.”

Victoria is currently the only Australian jurisdiction which provides financial incentives to young drivers for the purchase of safer vehicles through its ‘Unsafe2safe’ trial program, launched in 2021.

Motorists from Victoria’s regional areas – aged between 18 and 25 years old – can apply for a $5000 grant which can be used to purchase cars aged 10 years or less, with a high safety rating, from a participating dealership.

Victoria’s trial program randomly selected 1000 eligible candidates to receive the financial incentive, with the aim of bringing down the average age of vehicles being driven by inexperienced motorists.

A similar program – named Safer Cars for Country Kids – was proposed as a pre-election pledge by the New South Wales Government in February 2023, though the scheme is on ice for now following the Opposition’s win in the State election.

The RACQ survey also found the average price of a first car in Queensland has increased by more than 20 per cent in one year, jumping from $7129 in 2021 to $9079 in 2022.

The average price of a first car in Queensland has also gone up by approximately 50 per cent compared to 2018, with young drivers reportedly spending an average of $6022 on their first vehicle purchase five years ago.

The RACQ survey was published just a few months after Queensland recorded its highest annual road toll in 13 years, with 299 fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes in 2022 – more than any Australian jurisdiction last year.

According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE), Queensland road users aged between 17 and 24 years old accounted for 58 of the 299 fatalities – almost 20 per cent of the state’s road toll – with 34 of those killed reported as drivers.