AN MP has thrown his support behind a rural road safety campaign after statistics revealed a high risk to young drivers being involved in injury collisions in Cambridgeshire.

The figures show that young drivers from the Fenland District are 108 per cent more likely to be involved in an injury collision than the national average - the third highest level of risk across the 379 districts of Britain.

But the 2012 Road Safety Analysis also revealed a similar risk for young drivers from East Cambridgeshire, who are 72 per cent more likely to be involved than young drivers nationally.

The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs has launched a rural road safety campaign in response to the figures, with the support of insurer NFU Mutual and C-Way Driver Training, based in Peterborough.

It has received the support of SE Cambs MP Sir Jim Paice, who met with Milly Wastie, national chairman for the federation, and vice-chairman Luke Abblitt on Friday at Alconbury Driving Centre in Huntingdon.

The campaign, called Drive it Home, aims to reduce the number of incidents involving young drivers.

Sir Jim said: “My reasons for supporting the Drive it Home campaign are simple: too many of our young people are being killed or seriously injured on rural roads in Cambridgeshire.

“For young people living in rural areas, such as much of my constituency, being able to drive is essential, but these statistics unveiled by the federation are deeply worrying.

“We must do all that we can to improve awareness of the dangers of driving on Cambridgeshire’s rural roads and so if you are a young driver in rural Cambridgeshire, or know of such young drivers, then I urge you to take advantage of the help and support being offered by the Drive it Home campaign.”