MIJAG - Motor Insurance Justice Action Group

Press Release - 8/July/2001

National Safety Council Changes Misleading Statistics on Website

The National Safety Council has revised misleading and incorrect statistics made about young drivers on their website following complaints made by supporters of MIJAG.

The following claim that "Young men are responsible for over half of all road accidents. Young male drivers were held to be to a large extent responsible in 57 per cent of road traffic accidents" has been removed from the National Safety Councils (NSC)website http://www.nsc.ie/road/young.asp...

That statistic had been very widely quoted in the media. After receiving numerous complaints from supporters of MIJAG, the Motor Insurance Justice Action Group and the threat of legal action, the National Safety Council amended the site to show the real facts, i.e. Young male drivers are responsible for 57% of accidents they are involved in and not all accidents...

The site now reads "Young men are responsible for over half of all young driver accidents. Young male drivers were held to be to a large extent responsible in 57 per cent of these road traffic accidents"

MIJAG is seeking legal advice and is considering taking a Class Action through the Law of Torts against the NSC for damage done to the reputation of a whole generation of young drivers.

The NSC Web site www.nsc.ie also says "As this [NSC] Annual Report was being written 62,000 young people were sitting their Leaving Cert. Let's take them as representatives of their age. In eight years time most of these young people will be 25 or 26 years old...most of them will be. About 1,000 will be dead - killed in road crashes."

Campaign Organiser Mick Murphy said "This incredible claim could only come true if no other young people between the ages of 17 and 25 live in the country during the next eight years and they have the same number of accidents as the 608,000 that are at that age now. In fact their will be eight Leaving Cert classes plus the other 14,000 each year who do not sit the Leaving Cert and this point by the NSC is a ten fold exaggeration of the facts".

Mr Murphy added "The close ties between the NSC and the Insurance Industry at a time when the Insurance Industry is under going close scrutiny is worrying and may explain the use of these misleading statistics. AXA/PMPA who stand to loose the most if the RIP-OFF of Young Drivers is stopped, sponsor the NSC add campaigns and one of their Executive Directors Aidan Cassels chairs the NSC Safety Committee. I think the NSC is being used in the Propaganda war by the Insurance Industry at this very important time".