In Bolton, there have been hundreds of car accidents involving young drivers in the last five years- and some Bolton streets have seen more accidents than others.

According to the 2019 report from the Department for Transport,  there were 27,004 young casualties (age 17-24) last year, with 244 reported deaths.

Crash Map is an interactive website which allows you to see exactly where ‘slight’ ‘serious’ and ‘fatal’ accidents involving young drivers have occurred.

The information itself is sourced from police and government databases.

These are the Bolton roads with the most reported accidents involving young drivers (between 2015-2019)- how many have taken place near you?

Fatal accidents involving young drivers

According to Crash Maps, over 200 reported accidents have involved a young driver.

etween 2015-2019, four accidents involving a young driver have resulted in a fatality.

One tragic incident occurred on 31st January 2016 on Bow Street, when Louise Wolstenholme died after being hit by a car; the driver of the vehicle, Tinashe Irvine Chikoto, was jailed for 22 months.

Another fatal incident involving a young driver took place in 2018 on Topp Way; 65-year-old, Colin Olawumi died after being hit by a car while using the pedestrian crossing. 25-year old driver of the vehicle, Rizwan Ali, was given a 41 month prison sentence and banned from driving for four years and eight months.

The Bolton News: Accidents involving young drivers (Photo: Crash Map)Accidents involving young drivers (Photo: Crash Map)

Another fatal accident took place in 2016 on Plodder Lane, when a car collided with a tree. 17-year-old Latham Schofield was killed in the crash- he was a passenger in the car and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Daniel Wilson, an uninsured learner driver who was behind the wheel, was jailed for three years and 10 months.

Bolton roads with the most serious accidents involving young drivers
(Data between 2015-2019)

According to Crash Map, a road notorious for accidents involving young drivers is the A58 between Crompton Way and Moss Bank Way- six serious accidents involving young drivers have taken place on this road.

Other notorious roads include Chorley New Road where four serious accidents have taken place.

(Credit: Google Maps)
Two of these accidents have occurred in the same spot, where Birksdal Way meets the A673.

What is being done to make young drivers safer?

In 2019, the Government announced plans to make young drivers safer on the roads.

A graduated driver’s license is being explored and new drivers could face limits about what they can and can’t do on the road.

Road Safety Minister Michael Ellis said: “We have some of the safest roads in the world but we are always looking at ways to make them safer.

“We want to explore in greater detail how graduated driver licensing, or aspects of it, can help new drivers to stay safe and reduce the number of.”

Edmund King, AA (British motoring association) Charitable Trust director, said it is “vital” for young drivers to keep expanding their driving knowledge, even after they pass their test.

He added: “It is no secret young drivers are disproportionately involved in crashes.

“Getting professional tuition can help make them safer by ensuring they get as wide a variety of experience as possible when they are learning to drive. This means having driving lessons in lots of different situations such as urban and rural roads, in daylight and in darkness and on motorways if possible.


“It is vital to keep driving skills topped up, especially after a break from driving. The key is to think of driving as a life skill, rather than just a test to pass.”