The AA is asking motorists to spare a thought for the families of more than 4,200 young drivers who failed to see out the first decade of the millennium due to fatal accidents over the last 10 years.

Official figures reveal that more than 40,000 drivers aged 29 or younger have been killed or seriously injured on UK roads since 2000. Some 11,700 of these were teenagers.

Taking in all deaths and injuries, the toll reached over 440,000, including more than 110,000 teenagers.

The AA Charitable Trust has renewed its commitment to tackling young driver road deaths in 2010, by extending its Drive Smart programme offering free safe/eco driver training to drivers.

Developed specifically for new drivers, Drive Smart training involves two hour-long sessions with a fully-qualified instructor from AA Driving School.

The initiative, which has the support of transport ministers, focuses on improving safety as well as ‘eco-driving’ techniques to cut fuel consumption.