One in five male drivers under the age of 25 has admitted to racing on a public road, according to research.
Young men in general display a more cavalier attitude to speeding, obeying the rules of the road and to the risk of accidents, the research carried out on behalf of the Road Safety Authority has concluded.
NUI Galway psychology lecturer Dr Kiran Sarma surveyed 1,500 drivers who were leaving their cars in for their National Car Test.
He found that 21 per cent of male drivers under the age of 25 have raced on public roads. By contrast only 7.3 per cent of female drivers under the age of 25 admitted racing on public roads.