Young Driver Research Program - Overview Report

Federal Office of Road Safety - Contract Report 121

Full report in .pdf format [800KB]

Abstract:

The over-involvement of young drivers in road crashes is a very large and, to date, intractable road safety problem. In recognition of the need for a comprehensive research effort aimed at gaining a more detailed understanding of contributory factors to young driver crashes, this report presents an overview of the young driver research program which has been established under the auspices of the Federal Government's Road Safety Initiative.

After the presentation of background information, the report describes the nine elements which comprise the research program.

Executive Summary

One of the most serious and seemingly intractable problems in road safety is the over-involvement of young drivers in road crashes. Whether State, national or international road crash statistics are examined, the over-representation of young drivers in crashes in absolute terms, or relative to their proportion of the population, licences held or distance driven, is very marked. In recognition of the need for a comprehensive research effort aimed at gaining a more detailed understanding of factors contributing to young driver crashes, the Federal Office of Road Safety is funding a major young driver research program under the Federal Government's Road Safety Initiative. This report is an overview of that research program.

A model of factors contributing to young driver crash risk is advanced which indicates that there are perhaps three basic ways in which the improvement of young driver safety can be tackled:

1. DRIVING SKILL

By raising their level of driving skill. This approach has the fundamental aim of making new drivers better drivers

2. MOTIVATION

By changing their personal approach to driving. This approach has the fundamental aim of making young people "older" people.

3. AMOUNT AND/OR TYPE OF DRIVING

By modifying the type of driving young drivers do or reducing the amount of driving they do. This approach has the fundamental aim of making young drivers into young non-drivers or young drivers doing different types of driving.

The comprehensive research program being conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre is designed to generate information which will contribute to the development of effective and efficient crash countermeasures for young drivers. The research program comprises the following elements:

  • Characteristics of Young Driver Crashes (derived from crash studies)
  • Mass Crash Data Analyses
  • Evaluation of Graduated Licensing
  • Effect of Degraded Visual Information
  • Motivational Factors (young driver problem versus young problem drivers)
  • Characteristics of Young Driver Crashes (derived from behavioural studies)
  • Exposure Reduction Measures
  • Qualitative Dimensions of Exposure
  • Skill-Motivation Interactions

Each of these elements is described in the report.