MORE than a third of people killed in road traffic accidents in the south are young, figures have revealed.

Statistics published by the Department for Transport (DfT) show there have been 230 fatalities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the past five years – of which 82 (35 per cent) were aged 25 and under.

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.

Daily Echo: High toll of young in death on roads

A breakdown of the figures showed that the New Forest recorded the largest number of road deaths of any area in the region between 2004 and 2008, with 62 people dying on the district’s roads, 24 of them young. It was followed by Winchester (51 deaths in total), Test Valley (40, of which 18 were young), the Isle of Wight (33) and Southampton (20).

Eastleigh suffered ten deaths and Fareham 11. The number of road traffic deaths across the south increased from 34 in 2004 to 50 last year. However, the annual toll of young fatalities fell slightly, from 15 to 13, over the same period.

The worst year for deaths was 2007, when 53 people were killed across the region, including 17 young people.

A DfT spokeswoman said: “We are concerned that a small minority of drivers, put themselves and other road users at risk.”

The DfT has announced an overhaul of the driver training and testing process, including a new pre-driver qualification for 14 to 17-year-olds and practical tests.