Young women risking unsafe lifts

THOUSANDS of young women are risking their lives and safety by accepting lifts from drivers they don’t know or drivers who are under the influence of drink or drugs.

Among young women aged 17- to 25-years old who don’t drive, it was found that 6% have accepted a lift from a stranger. That figure rises to 13% who have got into a car with a driver who has been drinking alcohol or taken drugs.

Just as worryingly, the survey by Gocompare found that 18% of women in this category have experienced violence, aggression or harassment as a passenger in a vehicle.

Claire Peate of Gocompare said: ‘There's no doubt that learning to drive and getting your first car can be an expensive business, but it seems that some young women are taking risks with their own safety because they can't get around as easily as their friends.

‘Parents will be alarmed to learn that thousands of young women and teenagers are accepting lifts from people they hardly know, and are also being driven around by people who are possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.’

The advice from the survey is young women should stick together with friends, refuse the offer of a lift from drivers they don’t know or who have been drinking or taking drugs, and to keep some spare cash for a taxi to get home. Also, they should never worry about phoning a friend or parent to collect them if they don’t feel safe.

By Press Association reporters