The triggers for young drivers to take risks behind the wheel will be the focus of a Queensland-wide study.

The triggers for young drivers to take risks behind the wheel will be the focus of a Queensland-wide study.

A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) road safety researcher will survey thousands of young drivers who receive their provisional license between April 1 and June 30.

Bridie Scott-Parker, from QUT’s centre for accident research and road safety, says the survey aims to find out what turns young people into big risk-takers.

She says drivers aged 17 to 24 were two-and-a-half times more likely to be killed in a crash compared with older more experienced drivers.

Despite only making up 13 per cent of Queensland’s drivers, she says young drivers are involved in 30 per cent of fatal crashes.

“What we are trying to do is find out what they are doing when they get behind the wheel, what their experiences have been as learner drivers and what they think of the graduated driver licensing changes that were introduced in July 2007,” Ms Scott-Parker said.

Ms Scott-Parker says she will also be examining how effective the driver licensing program is and whether young drivers obey the required 100 hours of supervised driving, a zero per cent alcohol limit and night-time restrictions on passenger numbers.

The influence parents and peers have also be looked at and whether young drivers copy their parents’ bad driving habits.

The survey will be offered by the Department of Transport to all learner drivers who receive their provisional licence.