The Co-operative Insurance (CIS) and Brake study found that speeding is far too common an occurrence among drivers, especially as excessive speed accounts for a third of all deaths on the road.

David Neave, CIS director of general insurance, insisted that young drivers needed to be educated of the potential lethal effects their speeding can have, not only on themselves, but also passengers and pedestrians.

He added: “Our message is clear – let’s stop the growing number of fatalities. Don’t bow to peer pressure.

“If you feel that the driver is irresponsible and may break the speed limit don’t get in the car. It could be the most important decision you will ever make.”

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, insisted that it was up to the government “to ensure every young person gets an education in road safety and introduce a more structured system of training and testing”.

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