AS the head of the county's road policing, Chief Inspector Rick Dowell is in a unique position to assess why so many young people die or are seriously injured on Dorset's highways - and what needs to be done to reduce that number.

He says the keys are enforcement and education and Mr Dowell says that much more needs to be done by all the relevant agencies as far as the second of those is concerned.

"I think we all accept that much more in the way of resources needs to go into setting up schemes and programmes to help young drivers, especially when they have passed their test and are out there on the road.

"More rigorous and sustained testing is also something he wants to see. At the moment, it's too easy to get a licence and also too easy to forget what safe driving is all about.

"In my view it should be much more difficult for drivers to pass and retain a driving licence. I'd like too see a stiffer test, a probationary period, which could involve a young driver having to be accompanied by a qualified adult for a period of time, and regular testing.

"If people were aware they faced another test after a specific period of time and that they would lose their licence if they failed it, I think it would help maintain a better standard of and knowledge about driving."

He added: "All this is possible and practical if there is the political will to bring it about. It could also be self funding."

Only last week the government announced an overhaul of how young people are prepared for the road.

Under the proposals, learners will still be granted their provisional licence from 17, but will need a year to pass a beefed-up test.

The biggest factor contributing to the high level of accidents among young drivers is lack of experience, which can lead to poor judgement and risk taking.

"This can be a matter of failing to recognise potential hazards and changing your course of action in anticipation," said Mr Dowell. "This can be dealt with to a large degree by the things I have already mentioned."

But there are bigger problems - especially among young males drivers for whom getting behind the wheel is about showing off, being macho and trying to impress. The so-called boy racers.

"We need to impress upon them that it's not just their lives they are putting at risk but others too."

Of particular concern is the scenario when several passengers, especially young girls get into a car driven by someone they hardly know after a night out.

Crashes late at night when a number young of people have been in the car is something familiar to traffic officers.

The Department of Transport is currently looking at tightening the rules, possibly with curfews on driving at night and limits on the number of young passengers a young drivers can have in his of her car. Mr Dowell welcomes the debate on these kinds of restrictions.

But drink is also a big factor - and an increasingly worrying one.

"In the past ten years there seems to have been an increase in the number of youngsters who are prepared to take the risk of drinking and driving. Alcohol is clearly more freely available to the young and that is translating into bigger problems on the road.

"It seems to me that far too many young people are lacking in commonsense, social awareness and responsibility. They will drink and drive and think nothing of it."

He adds: "Again this is an issue about education, but also enforcement. With this and all the other issues, it's that we influence them before they crash, rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterwards."

Mr Dowell welcomed the Echo's Too Young To Die' campaign. "Anything that contributes to raising awareness of safety issues on the roads has got to a positive thing. If it helps save just one life it will have been worth it."