The number of drivers aged 17-24 killed in an accident has decreased by 10 per cent since 2010, according to the latest analysis by road safety charity Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

In the same time frame, the number of 17 – 24 year old passengers killed in a car with a young driver (aged 17-24) has decreased by 24 per cent. The difference in figure could be due to the general improvement in safety on our roads, fewer young people passing the test, ongoing campaigns and enforcement and the recession.

Younger drivers are more likely to travel with passengers of a similar age but the risk goes up with every extra passenger. A study from the USA showed that a young driver’s chances of being killed went up 44 per cent with one passenger, 90 per cent with two and 300 per cent with three or more.1

In 2012, 133 drivers aged 17-24 were killed alongside 71 young passengers. The previous year (2011), there 148 drivers aged 17-24 killed as well as 93 young passengers.

These figures are still completely unacceptable with new drivers far more likely to cause their passengers' death than any other age group. New drivers and their passengers also have far more life changing catastrophic crashes with lifelong injuries than any other age group.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Road safety has been improving for everyone in the UK in recent years and that is reflected in the improved situation for new drivers. But, it’s worrying that our younger people are still at such high risk of causing death and injury to themselves. These figures show an urgent need to improve awareness of the risks for younger drivers and their passengers.”

“We know that inexperience and overconfidence are significant factors in crashes among the younger age group and addressing this issue must be a top priority. By delaying its Green paper the government has missed a great opportunity to provide better training, more support and learning from a younger age. In the meantime parents and young people should follow the IAM’s tips for young passengers to maximise the chances of survival.”

The IAM’s top tips for young passengers:
•More passengers equals more risk so don't overload the car as it will handle differently and the driver may not know how to deal with that
•Don’t distract the driver by trying to show him or her stuff on your phone
•Don’t give in to peer pressure – if others are being stupid don’t get involved
•Never get in a car with a young driver who has been drinking
•Agree with parents you can call them up or they will pay for a taxi if you have worries about your lift
•Risk is highest at night and on country roads - make sure your mate knows where they are going and has put in the hours learning how to cope with a wide variety of roads

• Ducati to celebrate the brand new Monster 821 at the World Ducati Week in July
• In order to celebrate it best, Ducati calls out to all Monster enthusiasts to share their stories through the Monster Wall competition launched online
• Canon to partner Ducati at WDW in the Monster Wall initiative

Borgo Panigale (Bologna), 05 June, 2014 – Ducati has a selection of exciting initiatives in store for the World Ducati Week to be held at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” from 18-20 July. Special attention will be dedicated to the recently launched Monster 821 which brings to life all the original values associated with the Monster range of naked motorcycles spanning two decades.

In the limelight since its announcement at the end of May, the new Monster 821 is a stylish mix of minimalist Italian design and punchy performance, able to seduce resolute Monsteristi as well as newcomers in search of a motorcycle with temperament, agility and ergonomics for maximum riding pleasure. Powered by the lively 821cc twin-cylinder 112hp Testastretta 11° engine, the new Monster 821 also incorporates a host of Ducati’s latest technological features to provide easy handling and a reassuring feeling of control and ergonomic comfort for both rider and passenger.

In view of the Monster’s magnetic appeal to motorcycling enthusiasts, customisation professionals, photographers and even stylists, Ducati has decided to launch an initiative which will celebrate the new Monster 821 and culminate in a motorcycling lifestyle moment at the World Ducati Week in July.

Monster goes beyond the motorcycle itself, it brings people together, it inspires the people that design motorcycles and those who admire the values a Monster embodies. This is what the Monster Wall is for. A huge wall which will be erected at the Misano Circuit and covered with the most inspiring 821 pictures, texts or video frames that Ducati enthusiasts can upload via the web. The Monster through the eyes of the Monsteristi around the world.

By accessing the “Monster Tales” site, people can upload photographs, stories or videos of their Monsters to express their personal experiences. Everyone visiting the platform will have a chance to vote for an entry by clicking the Like button and the top 821 entries will automatically feature on the Monster Wall during WDW2014.

More Monster than ever, the new Monster 821 will certainly inspire the global community and the five most representative entries will receive a free pass (rider and passenger) to the World Ducati Week. The best of the five will also receive a hotel package for the WDW weekend. Canon who is partnering Ducati in this initiative will also award the best contribution in terms of artistic excellence and relevance to the Monster theme with a Canon EOS 700D .

Powered by Canon, the Monster Wall is just one of the many initiatives Canon and Ducati have in store for the World Ducati Week in July. Participants in the Monster Wall competition can already upload their content to the Monster Tales platform. Full regulations are available online and the closing date for entries is 30 June, 2014.

All World Ducati Week 2014

THERE are ambitious developments afoot at Classic Bike Shows and there’s no better example than the Carole Nash Great Scottish Bike Show. With a move to a new venue confirmed and star names such as Giacomo Agostini set to attend, the event is expected to make its mark in a big way this summer…

In an industry where growth has proved difficult in recent years, Classic Bike Shows, the organiser of some of the UK’s largest classic events, is bucking the trend with an expansion into Scotland’s premier events venue, the Royal Highland Centre near Edinburgh, for a weekend celebration of all that is best about motorcycling. A wealth of dealers, manufacturers and traders will come together under one roof on August 9-10 to offer visitors the chance to access the best and latest machines and motorcycle accessories.

Exhibition manager Nick Mowbray said: “Our move to a facility as impressive as the Royal Highland Centre signals our intention to make the Great Scottish Bike Show the most complete biking weekend in the north of Britain. We’re scaling new heights here at Classic Bike Shows with our ever-expanding portfolio and we look forward to proving what we here all know; motorcycling in the UK is very much alive and well.”

With much to attract enthusiasts across all makes, models and eras of motorcycling, one of motorcycle racing’s most successful names will add a touch of star quality to proceedings. Giacomo Agostini, the 15-times world champion, will be the event’s special guest of honour, talking with showgoers and presenting awards to the owners of the machines selected as the best on display.

With 122 career victories, Agostini holds the record for Grand Prix race wins with fellow Italian legend Valentino Rossi the only other man to have surpassed the 100 mark. Accompanying ‘Ago’ at the event will be Alex George, a three times Isle of Man TT race winner who’s sure to be popular in his native Scotland.

The action doesn’t just take place inside either, with stunt displays from the irreverent Purple Helmets alongside competitive racing in the form of Scottish Supermoto and Moped Mayhem.

Mowbray added: “We can’t wait to take a summer visit up to Edinburgh, and we’re especially jealous of those visitors who’ll be taking the opportunity to make the trip on their favourite ride. From parts, spares and accessories through to the chance to meet a racing hero and witness exhilarating live action, the Carole Nash Great Scottish Bike Show has something for every motorcycle enthusiast. And with all of that for a bargain £6 when you buy your ticket in advance… it’s a weekend not to be missed.”

Michael Dunlop joined Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen on 11 wins at the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy when he took Friday afternoon’s PokerStars Senior TT race, the second year in succession when he’s won 4 races in a week.

The BMW Motorrad rider was down in seventh at Glen Helen, the first timing point, on the opening lap but steadily moved through the leaders on the opening lap. He eventually took the win by exactly 14 seconds from Honda Racing’s Conor Cummins with the Tyco Suzuki of Guy Martin in third.

With conditions all around the Mountain Course remaining perfect throughout the 6-lap race, the second Tyco Suzuki ridden by William Dunlop held the lead in the early stages, ahead by 1.3 seconds at Glen Helen with Cummins and Martin in second and third from Dean Harrison, John McGuinness and James Hillier.

William still led at Ramsey but Michael was beginning to make his move, closing the gap to just one second and by the end of the lap Michael was in front. His lap of 130.628mph gave him a 0.8s lead over Martin with Cummins, William Dunlop and Harrison in hot pursuit, just 3s covering the top five.

On the second lap, Dunlop and the BMW really began to make their mark on the race and with a new lap record, for the Senior race, of 131.668mph, he went 7.7s clear as he came into the pits for his first stop. William had edged out Martin for second as Cummins slipped back to fourth. Harrison remained in fifth as a slow starting Bruce Anstey moved up to sixth.

Lap three saw some major changes though and while Michael remained in the lead, Cummins and Martin moved up to second and third respectively as William Dunlop crashed at the Les Graham Memorial, the 28-year reported to have received a suspected broken leg and was taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital. Harrison was also out, retiring at Sulby.

The gap between Michael Dunlop and Conor Cummins went up to 13s at Ramsey on the fourth lap, but by the pits and the second stop, it was down to 9.5s as Cummins was the quickest on the fourth lap at 130.499mph. Martin was 10s further back in third, with Dunlop having caught him on the road, as Anstey, Hillier and McGuinness now slotted into fourth to sixth.

At Glen Helen on the penultimate lap, just 7s separated Dunlop and Cummins with the former circulating on the road with Hillier, McGuinness and Martin also encountering heavy traffic. However, the Ballymoney rider fought his way to the front of the quartet and once there he was able to build a slightly more comfortable lead.

By the end of the race, the margin was 14s as he swept to his 11th win of his relatively short TT career, with Cummins again justifying Honda’s faith in him in 2nd, 9.6s ahead of Martin who had to settle for third and his 15th TT podium.

Just like twelve months ago Anstey and Hillier battled all the way to the chequered flag, this time for fourth, and it was again the Kiwi who prevailed, this time by 1.4s. Meanwhile, McGuinness, sixth at the end of the opening lap, duly completed the race in the same position to end a difficult week with a solid finish.

Josh Brookes put behind the disappointment of Wednesday’s Supersport race, when he was knocked off by Lee Johnston at Creg ny Baa on the final lap, to finish in a strong seventh with Dan Kneen, Michael Rutter and David Johnson rounding out the top ten.

There was another sensational performance from newcomer Peter Hickman who not only took 11th place but also set the fastest ever lap by a first timer at the Mountain Course with a stunning lap of 129.104mph.

He was the first privateer home ahead of Ian Mackman (15th) but Ivan Lintin’s 16th place was enough to see him wrap up the TT Privateer’s Championship with 97 points overall.

John Ingram and Philip Crowe were reported off at Governors and Gooseneck respectively but both were reported as OK. Martin Jessop, also off at Governors, was taken by ambulance to Nobles hospital with a suspected broken collar bone, while Austrian Horst Saiger was conscious after an incident at Gardeners Lane and taken to Nobles with a leg injury.

Dean Harrison claimed his first Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy win when he took Friday morning’s 3-lap Bikenation Lightweight race. Held in perfect conditions, the RC Express Racing by MSS Performance rider led from start to finish and ran out victor by 14.6s with last year’s winner James Hillier in second and another youngster, James Cowton, in third.

With beautiful sunny weather bathing the island, Harrison grabbed the early lead at Glen Helen on the opening lap, his advantage over Hillier just half a second as Cowton slotted into third ahead of Jamie Hamilton, Olie Linsdell and Keith Amor. There was disappointment though for Ivan Lintin, the fastest qualifier, as he only got as far as Union Mills before retiring.

As the lap progressed, the gap between the front two was increasing all the time and with a first lap speed of 117.897mph, Harrison already had a comprehensive lead of almost ten seconds. Hillier had extended his gap to Cowton too, the margin now 8.4s, as Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell continued to hold onto their top six places but another pre-race favourite Lee Johnston was another early retiree.

The majority of riders opted to pit at the end of the first lap but one man who didn’t was double Manx GP winner Michael Russell and the leaderboard took on a different look through Glen Helen on lap two. Harrison still led Hillier by ten seconds but Russell was now up to third, just two seconds behind Hillier but only half a second clear of Cowton.

It was clear that it wouldn’t be until Glen Helen on lap three that the leaderboard would settle down again after all the pit stops had been made but at the end of the lap the order was Harrison, Hillier, Cowton, Amor, Hamilton and Russell. Russell then pitted but his race was over shortly after when he pulled in at Quarterbridge.

By Glen Helen on the third and final lap, Harrison’s lead had now risen to 18 seconds although Cowton was only four seconds adrift of the 2013 race winner. Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell remained in fourth, fifth and sixth as Harrison, Amor and Hamilton circulated in close formation.

The Bradford rider was able to control the race in the closing stages and he took the win by 14.6s to emulate the feat of his dad Conrad in Saturday’s opening F2 Sidecar race, the first time a father and son have taken wins in the same week.

Hillier was secure in second and took his third podium in the class in as many years, with 2012 Newcomers Manx GP winner Cowton having a superb ride into third. Amor, Hamilton and Linsdell had no dramas on the final lap and filled out the top six.

2012 race winner Ryan Farquhar took seventh ahead of Dan Cooper, Michal Dokoupil and newcomer Martin Jessopp who had a great ride into tenth. Fellow debutante Danny Webb was only two further places back in twelfth.