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Paper Title:
Learner Driver Trial
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Authors:
Sophie Banfield, Samantha
Cockfield
Abstract:
As part of its HELP youth
strategy, the TAC developed a program designed to gauge the impact
of personalised support for learner drivers upon the extent and
quality of their supervised driving practice.
Designed as a two year,
five-stage longitudinal study, the Learner Driver Trial (LDT) involved
a sample of parents/supervisors of learner drivers being contacted
via phone every three to four months. At each phone contact supervisors
were surveyed about issues relevant to learning to drive, including
the amount and types of practice received by their learner. The
results from these surveys were compared with control groups not
involved in the program.
Although initial results
from the LDT have been reported previously, this is the first time
an in depth analysis of the trial data has been undertaken. This
analysis examined if the number of trips taken, average length of
trip and number of driving conditions experienced by those involved
in the LDT was greater than control learner drivers. Additional
analyses were also conducted to examine the effects of the LDT on
logbook use, total hours of driving experience prior to licensing
and age of obtainment of a probationary licence.
The major finding of
the study indicates that the LDT has a significant influence on
the amount and type of supervised practice learner drivers obtain
within the first year of their learner permit tenure. However, towards
the later stage of the trial there was generally no difference between
the LDT drivers and the control group on measured variables. This
suggests that the most significant LDT effect occurs immediately
after obtaining a learner permit and helps learners sustain reasonable
levels of practice throughout the learner period.
Topic Fields: Learner
drivers, supervised practice, young drivers
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