There seems to be an epidemic of P-plate drivers killed or injured in car crashes. Every story of a teenager killed on the road is heart-rending. But the surprising fact is that there are fewer fatal accidents of P-plate drivers per capita than ever before.

So, before Bob Carr's Government feels compelled to impose a knee-jerk set of laws to corral young drivers, a cool assessment of the facts may be in order. In 1992 the crash rate of novice drivers - those on L and P plates - was 28 crashes per 100,000 licenses, RTA figures show.

In 2002, the number had dropped to 19, a 30 per cent reduction. So, while it is true that P-plate drivers are more than twice as likely to be involved in crashes as people over the age of 26, it is not true to say we are experiencing a sudden crisis which requires new regulation.

We can't blame irresponsible parents or poor schooling or rap music or Xbox driving games for an increase in recklessness among young drivers, because there appears to have been no increase. In any case, who is to say new laws are the answer?

A recent Victorian Government idea to alter the speedometers of new cars so they can show a top speed of no more than 130kmh, no matter how fast the car is travelling, is one of the nuttier regulations proposed. But there is no telling what else politicians may have in store if given the green light.

Rik Shepherd, a South Coast advanced driving instructor, is convinced after 15 years of teaching people to be more careful on the road that there is no way to "legislate against human stupidity". "There will always be fatal road crashes and young people will always be over-represented," the former Keiraville paramedic said. "People do not realise how poor a driver they are until it's too late." He believes tougher licensing standards and incentives for responsible drivers are needed. But he warned that advanced driving courses being urged by the NSW Opposition might not be the answer for young people. Instead of protecting novice drivers, the courses might instill a heightened sense of confidence and "perception of invulnerability".

In one of the most recent fatal crashes involving a P-plate driver, 20-year-old Emile Dousset was driving a Nissan Skyline GT-R on a straight stretch of road at Lisarow with a 50 kmh speed limit when the car became airborne at speeds police estimate were close to 200kmh. The high-performance car hit a power pole and split in two, killing Dousset and his friends: 33-year-old Carl Homer, his 15-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Natasha Schyf, and their unborn son.

As callers to talkback radio pointed out last week, there is already a law prohibiting drivers from driving over the speed limit, and Dousset's father, who owned the car, has said he had banned his son from driving it.

It's doubtful any additional law would have prevented the tragedy. Many young men seem genetically programmed for risky behaviour, with teenage boys twice as likely to die on the roads as girls. Tying the motoring community up in more red tape and imposing ever more draconian fines won't change that.

One factor driving a perception of crisis may be that young people are on their P-plates three times longer than their parents were. The more stringent licensing requirements for novice drivers came into force in 2000.

After graduating from L plates, new drivers must hold a P1 license (red P plate) for at least 12 months and pass a computerised hazard perception test before graduating to a P2 license (green P plate) for at least 24 months and then pass another computer test to qualify for their full license.

Roads Minister Carl Scully is due to release a discussion paper of options to reduce P-plate driver fatalities. There may be a case to stop novices driving high-powered or heavy four-wheel-drive vehicles. But, as a spokesman for Scully said on Friday, the only real way to prevent all car crashes is to ban cars.

Brain development was one of three key issues behind the high number of young people injured or killed on our roads, said Dr Lisa Wundersitz, from the Centre for Automotive Research.

She said research has shown that inexperience, distractions from modern technology and a cultural tendency to "take risks" were the reason for most accidents. "There is a biological element the prefrontal cortex of the brain is not fully developed until they are in their 20s," she said. "This means their long-term planning skills, reasoning and impulse skills are all lacking.

"Typically, a lot of people might speed because they love the adrenaline rush it's sensation seeking. "I guess you want to experience certain impulses and as we get older, you might have the same impulse but you will think of the consequences as well."

Drivers aged 16 to 24 account for 13 per cent of the state's drivers but were last year involved in 33 per cent of fatal crashes. Dr Wundersitz, who will host a seminar today on young driver behaviour, said the most dangerous time for young drivers was during the first six months of their probationary licence. "That's thought to be because of two factors inexperience and risk-taking behaviour," she said.

"Risk-taking behaviour is particularly prevalent in young males and is a difficult issue because risk-taking is promoted in our culture it's everywhere, it's on television and it's looked at as being a highly prized virtue. But risky behaviour on our roads is not cool and it should not be seen as desirable."

Dr Wundersitz said modern technology was also leading to an increase in young driver crashes. "You have mobile phones, GPS, iPods, entertainment screens it can be quite distracting." "An inexperienced driver suddenly has to divide their attention between driving and these distractions, it's more difficult for them than a more experienced driver, where the driving process is more automated."

She said technological advances in cars would go a long way to keeping young drivers safe but newer vehicles were often used by parents. "Electronic stability control detects a loss of steering control and automatically brakes individual wheels," Dr Wundersitz said. "Lots of young people are involved in crashes that are just a single vehicle losing control."

"ESC has been found to have reduced single vehicle crashes by around 35 per cent, but the problem is, young drivers usually drive vehicles that are on average 14 years old."

Dr Wundersitz said the Centre for Automotive Research wanted the State Government to restrict passenger numbers for inexperienced drivers to prevent them falling victim to pressure from their mates. The Government has already passed legislation to extend the learner period from six to 12 months.

Mount Gambier P-plater Erin Plunkett opposes raising the provisional licence age to 18 and says driving at 80kmh for the first year would be harsh.

Newly licensed young drivers are still too inexperienced to safely handle a vehicle, according to automotive safety research professor Craig Kloeden, who has advocated several reforms to help reduce the youth road toll.

A study by the University of Adelaide found young drivers had double the risk of crashing in their first few months on a provisional licence than after a year of driving.

Prof Kloeden said raising the provisional licence age to 18 and having a maximum speed limit of 80kmh during the first year of driving would greatly reduce the crash risk. He said high crash rates across South Australia indicated it was “many hundreds of hours” before young drivers became competent.

“Given young drivers are 15 times more likely to have an accident once on a provisional licence, there is a strong case for extending the length of the learner phase even more,” he said, referring to a current requirement of 50 hours driving experience for a learner to become a P-plater, soon to be extended to 75.

“The study shows most crashes happen by young people veering off the road and hitting a stationary object or failing to negotiate a right-hand turn across traffic.”

However, raising the age and lowering the speed has met opposition from many youths including Mount Gambier P-plater, Erin Plunkett, 16, who said the proposed changes were harsh. “I think people should still be allowed to drive independently before they’re 18,” Miss Plunkett said. “The experience gained from driving by ourselves helps us mature and become responsible.

“Drink driving is a serious issue, but not being carried in away in the hype of having a new licence at the same time as being allowed to drink legally makes people think twice.” Miss Plunkett said extending learner time would inconvenience parents who lack time and energy to be constantly supervising their child for a minimum two years.

She also said it would be impractical to reduce the speed limit to 80kmh for the first year, with the number of P-platers that travel on country highways. “Being 30 kilometres slower than the maximum speed would give most people going 110 road rage, which can be as dangerous as speeding,” she said. “Plus, if they weren’t aware of the law they’d probably think young drivers were doing it to be smart.”

Miss Plunkett said she was not surprised by the university’s statistics, but poor control was not just limited to young drivers. “Some people are just stupid when they drive, but changing the age and speed won’t stop people from breaking the law if they want to, or even being inattentive,” she said. “Personally, I feel like I’ve got good control when I drive. “Most of the time my friends’ lives are in my hands so I have to.”