Learning to Take Risks: The Influence of Age and Experience on Risky Driving

This study investigated the involvement of New South Wales drivers in accidents and traffic offences as a function of age, driving experience and sex. It was designed to test the hypothesis that, among drivers of the same age, risky driving behaviors become more frequent with increasing driving experience. The results of both the accident analysis and the offence analysis provided support for the study hypothesis. Among drivers of the same age, higher levels of experience are associated with a greater tendency to offend and engage in risky driving behavior. It appears either that novice drivers learn through experience that potential hazards rarely eventuate or that they become more confident of their ability to negotiate the hazards successfully if they do eventuate. There is evidence that an increasing tendency to speed leads to increasing involvement in certain types of accidents during the first few years of driving. The findings suggest the widespread use of combined speed and red light enforcement cameras at signalized intersections should lead to a reduction in collisions in which a vehicle turns right across the path of a vehicle proceeding straight ahead.

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1876592419
• Corporate Authors:

  ARRB

  Melbourne, Victoria  Australia 
• Authors:
  • Catchpole, John
• Publication Date: 2005-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 72p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Behavior; Crashes; Driver experience; Drivers; Females; Males; Red light running; Risk taking; Teenage drivers; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054203
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1876592419
• Report/Paper Numbers: Research Report ARR 362
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 9 2007 11:59AM