Young Driver Research Program PDF Download

This study investigated the relative importance of youth and lack of driving experience as contributors to the over representation of young drivers in traffic crashes. Interviews were conducted with drivers aged 16-29 to collect information on their personal characteristics, travel patterns and crash histories. After allowing for differences in exposure (time spent driving), crash involvement was found to be associated with lack of driving experience and with high levels of recklessness. Recklessness was higher amongst young drivers. Drivers who obtain a licence relatively early were no more reckless than those who are licensed when somewhat older Young males were significantly more reckless than young females but did not have higher crash risk (after controlling for exposure). Thus, skill levels may be higher among young males, compensating for their greater recklessness. Although experience was found to be more important than age in determining crash risk, the high correlaton between the two means that the issue cannot be resolved beyond all doubt. Future research should directly address the skill and motivational variables elevant to crash risk, rather than relying on experience nd age as proxies. The present study has taken an mportant step in this direction by demonstrating that ecklessness is a better predictor of young driver crash nvolvement than age. The report concludes with ecommendations for countermeasure development. Driver licences. Driver experience. Driver age. Road accidents.