Too many young car insurance customers in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK are still driving recklessly and illegally, despite being aware of the dangers to themselves and others.

Research conducted by road safety charity Brake and the Co-operative Insurance shows 30 per cent of motorists under 25 admit flouting the law and driving dangerously. A quarter of the 3,548 drivers polled said they've taken to the road without car insurance, a valid MOT certificate or a licence.

Breaking the speed limit in built-up areas, racing friends, driving while using a mobile phone and going without a seatbelt were also found to be all-too-common practices.

Cathy Keeler from Brake maintains more needs to be done to make young motorists aware of the "deadly consequences" of irresponsible driving.

"Brake urges all young people to take the responsibility of driving seriously, making sure they're fully insured and driving legally, and never taking risks such as texting their friends while driving or overtaking on a blind bend," she states.

Figures indicate that, out of the 2,538 people killed on Britain's roads in 2008, almost one in three were individuals under the age of 25.