“Getting behind the wheel of a car as a young driver or passenger is said to be among the most dangerous things a person will do in their entire life,” according to Terry Birss, CEO of national not-for-profit organisation Road Safety Education Limited (RSE).

Some tips the organisation has compiled include to assist young drivers at this critical time of the year are: 

Distance between vehicles: Always keep a minimum three seconds gap between you and the car in front. When it's raining and/or foggy double the distance to six seconds no matter what speed you're doing.

Indicate early: Always indicate when changing lanes, 30 metres wherever practical, to advise other motorists of what you are doing. 

Eyes ahead: Drive with your line of sight parallel to the road not looking down onto it. By doing this you see further into the distance so you can be better prepared if there is a problem ahead. It may even mean you can avoid a crash. 

Overtaking: Ensure you have enough room to go past the vehicle you are overtaking and not cut them off. Pick your time carefully as overtaking can be a dangerous exercise.

Driving at night: Driving at night requires more skill and concentration than at daytime due to your restricted vision.

Oncoming headlights can obscure your vision and pedestrians can be near impossible to see. Leave a bigger gap between you and the car in front to allow for your reduced vision and reaction time. 

Road rage: Stay relaxed and try not to let other people's driving skills or decisions worry you. If another driver makes a mistake don't get angry - just concentrate on your own driving skills, behaviour and safety.