A NEW campaign is encouraging young drivers to stay safe on the road.

Launching yesterday, the council wants motorists to participate in the Don’t Drive Daft initiative.

In 2023, 84 17 to 24-year-olds were casualties in a road traffic collision in Barnsley with 31 of these killed or seriously injured. In South Yorkshire, the figure rises to 542 with 167 killed or seriously injured.

Through videos filmed with students at Barnsley College and promotional materials including a display window in the Glass Works, the council hopes to draw attention to the biggest contributors to serious incidents on our roads.

The campaign focuses on the five leading causes of road traffic collisions that end in a fatality or a serious injury: speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and distractions.

A council spokesperson said: “By doing so, we want to make drivers aware of these risks and help young people speak out if they see anyone, including their friends, putting themselves or others at risk by doing any of the behaviours.”

Councillor James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, which is why a campaign such as Don’t Drive Daft is important to draw attention to dangerous behaviours on our roads.

“While this campaign targets younger drivers, all drivers can take the messages included in the videos and apply them to their own driving behaviour, whether that is avoiding distractions, not driving under the influence of drugs or drink and not speeding on our roads.

“We all want Barnsley’s roads to be safer for everyone who uses them, and we hope that the campaign, alongside our wider road safety schemes and Road Safety Strategy, will contribute to a reduction in those killed or seriously injured on our roads.”

Coun Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: “The safety of everyone who uses Barnsley’s roads, from drivers and pedestrians to cyclists, horse riders and beyond, is of utmost importance.

“Ahead of National Road Safety Week and the more challenging road conditions throughout winter, our Don’t Drive Daft campaign will show young drivers’ best practice in keeping themselves and others safe on our roads.”

The Don’t Drive Daft campaign is part of the wider Safer Roads Barnsley branding that was launched earlier this year, which is designed to promote road safety and best practice in the borough.

“Alongside our Safer Roads Strategy and our road safety schemes, our ambition is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Barnsley’s roads by at least 50 per cent by 2030 and our long-term goal of zero people killed or seriously injured by 2050.

For more information, visit our new Safer Roads Barnsley webpage” added the spokesperson.