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Why are youth over-represented in road crashes?. Floor Lieshout. Exercise #1. Discuss in small groups why you think young people are over-represented in road crashes? Divide into 3 small groups 5 - 10 minutes Use post-its to brainstorm. Why are young people at risk?.
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Why are youth over-represented in road crashes? Floor Lieshout
Exercise #1 • Discuss in small groups why you think young people are over-represented in road crashes? • Divide into 3 small groups • 5 - 10 minutes • Usepost-its to brainstorm
Why are youngpeople at risk? • Brain development: between 20-25 yrs • Prefrontal cortex: • Impulse control • Judgment • Decision-making • Reasoning
Why are youngpeople at risk? • Social emotional system of the brain between 14-15 yrs • Social stimuli • Rewards • Emotion wins from self-control • Today I see an advert, tomorrow I buy it
Why are youngpeople at risk? • Young people are more sensitive for social / group pressure / peer influence • Some young people will take higher risks (negative and positive) than adults in search for a ´kick´ • Young males are higher at risk than young females
Why are youngpeople at risk? • Inexperience among adolescents and young adults makes them less safe when driving a car or a motorcycle than older drivers • Overestimation of their own skills • Environment often not adjusted for their needs • Setting speed limits • Safe playgrounds • Safe school areas
Example on the use of helmets • Self-control: wearing a helmet requires a decision but some young people don’t have that self-control • Emotion: feels better to drive without helmet, don’t want to ruin my hair • Peer pressure: my friends are not wearing helmets so I won’t, none of my family wear helmets so why should I? • Higher risks: I will speed with no helmet because it feels great and is fun • Inexperience and overestimation of skill: I am a good driver, I will never get into a crash so I won’t wear my helmet • Environment not adjusted to needs: helmet design does not look cool or is uncomfortable, need to pay money to keep helmets at parking lot
Not all young people are the same 70% • 70% of young people are open • for road safety messages and will behave OK in most circumstances • 5% are ´traffic criminals´ • and will do whatever they want • 25% can go either way, hopefully they chose the biggest group (social validation) 25% 5%
Whichgroup to focus? FOCUS
Summary • Braindevelopment • Selfcontrolarea: notyetdeveloped • Social / emotionalarea: developed • Sensitive for social / peer pressure • Higher risk taking • Males - Females • Inexperience and overestimation • No safe environment • Focus on the 70% group
Contactweb: www.youthforroadsafety.orgemail: floor@youthforroadsafety.orgFindusbysearchingYouth for Road Safety on: