Young people account for more than a third of deaths on Shropshire’s roads, according to official figures.

They show that of the 154 fatalities across the county between 2004 and 2008, some 58 were aged 25 and under. Nationally, of the 12,769 killed during the five-year period, 4,238 or a third were younger people. The victims included pedestrians, motorcyclists and passengers, as well as motorists.

The data, released in response to a parliamentary question, prompted an admission that the Government is concerned about a “small minority” of young drivers who are putting themselves and others at risk.

A DfT spokeswoman said: “The majority of new drivers seek to be responsible and safe but we are of course concerned that a small minority of drivers, particularly those in the 17 to 25 age group, put themselves and other road users at risk.

“The latest figures show that the total numbers of deaths in crashes involving car drivers aged 17 to 24 years fell by 22 per cent from the 2007 figure but we know we still need to do more. That is why we recently announced a major overhaul of the driver training and testing process.

“This includes a new pre-driver qualification for 14 to 17-year-olds and improvements to the theory and practical tests – including introducing a new assessment of a candidate’s ability to drive independently – to better prepare young drivers for the road.

“We are confident that this new approach will help us to further reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the roads,” she added.

By London Reporter Sunita Patel