The effectiveness of advanced driver training
Advanced driver training courses are designed to teach skills that can improve vehicle handling and hazard perception, which could theoretically reduce crash risk. In the current New Zealand graduated driver licensing system, Class 1 (car) licence holders can obtain their full licence earlier if they complete an approved driver training course. However, a recent evaluation revealed that crash rates were not significantly different between untrained drivers and trained drivers who accepted the time discount. This raised the question of whether current courses are appropriate, and whether there are more appropriate approaches that could be adopted for improving novice driver safety. The current study involved a systematic review of the driver training literature to identify successful and unsuccessful approaches internationally. The review identified 82 relevant documents reporting a diverse range of programmes for novice drivers, which mainly focused on improving vehicle skills handling, reducing overconfidence, and/or developing hazard perception and situation awareness skills. Time discount policies have been used in some overseas jurisdictions, and even in the absence of explicit time discounts, driver training has often led to earlier licensure (eg, because the young driver feels better prepared to apply for their licence sooner). Research has consistently indicated driver training has a neutral or even negative effect on safety if it results in earlier licensure, with nearly all experts recommending against time discounts. Hazard perception training shows promise, but has predominantly been evaluated in small-scale, short-term experimental studies, so it is unclear if the benefits would transfer to real-world driving in the long term. Based on the review, we recommend that the current policy of providing a time discount for driver training should be discontinued. The poor quality of most driver training studies makes it difficult to identify best practice, as most evaluated programmes have substantial limitations, but we suggest some guidelines for future programmes.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/978199004212
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Corporate Authors:
New Zealand Transport Agency
Private Bag 6995, Wellington 6141, New Zealand
Wellington, -
Authors:
- Beanland, V
- Huemmer, I
- Publication Date: 2021-12
Media Info
- Pagination: 69p
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Serial:
- Issue Number: 677
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Driver training; Drivers; Evaluation; Graduated licensing; Hazards; Perception; Recently qualified drivers; Research; Risk; Young adults
- Uncontrolled Terms: International comparison
- Geographic Terms: New Zealand
- ATRI Terms: Advanced driver training; Evaluation; Graduated licence; Hazard perception; International comparison; Novice driver; Research needs; Systematic review; Young driver
- ITRD Terms: 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 1551: Graduated licence
- Subject Areas: Research; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01835486
- Record Type: Publication
- Source Agency: ARRB Group Limited
- ISBN: 978199004212
- Files: ITRD, ATRI
- Created Date: Feb 7 2022 2:23PM