Graduated driver licensing and differential deterrence: The effect of license type on intentions to violate road rules

Sociodemographic characteristics of youth licensing at age 17 in the context of supervised driving in Denmark

INTRODUCTION

Allowing young drivers to gain experience while being supervised by an experienced driver is a widely used measure to try to reduce crash risk. On 1 January 2017, the Danish licensing system was updated to allow licensing at age 17 with post-license supervised driving until solo driving at age 18.

METHOD

Based on data from the Danish Driving License register and Statistics Denmark, including the entire population, the purpose of this study is to determine if sociodemographic characteristics and a history of violations and crash involvement among youth predict licensing at age 17. A second purpose is to estimate the time period from licensing until the driver turns 18 and to explore changes in license demand in the context of Denmark's updated licensing system.

RESULTS

An increasing proportion choose to license at the age of 17, but the proportion below 19 with a driver's license is unchanged. On average, the license is obtained 5.3 months before turning 18. Living in rural areas, with both parents, and in a family with several cars and higher income increases the likelihood of licensing at age 17. Young people with a history of involvement in non-traffic-related accidents or violations are more likely to license at age 17.

CONCLUSION

Lowering the license age to allow supervised driving increases early licensing. The average time period from licensing until the driver turns 18 is less than six months. Sociodemographic characteristics predict early licensing.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Minimum requirements for the time period from licensing until the driver turns 18 are needed to support a safety benefit. Follow-up studies mapping supervised driving, crash involvement, and possible changes in crash risk associated with the change in the Danish licensing system are needed to specify the requirements.

Effectiveness of a pre-licensing driver education program on five psycho-social factors over twelve months

A pre and post (1, 4, and 9-12 months follow up) survey of psychosocial variables was used to examine the effect of a compulsory pre-licence driver education program for drivers aged 16-20 years, in the Australian Capital Territory. While the final survey was collected by telephone, all other surveys were completed online. Two-way mixed ANOVAs revealed that sensation seeking and optimism bias increased over time while illusionary invulnerability and differential association fell. Participants perceived driving as more risky 9-12 months after completing the course compared to their views prior to the course. These results suggest that the program may have a limited effect on these five psychosocial factors over time. Policy makers may need to carefully consider the reasons for providing driver education, the optimal time during the licensing process to provide this education, and the financial and social costs of doing so.

Parenting style, young driver compliance and the imposition of additional driving restrictions within graduated driver licensing systems

Provisional (or intermediate) drivers do not always comply with graduated driver licensing restrictions and road laws. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of parenting style on young driver compliance with licensing restrictions. Two surveys, the first a sample of parents of provisionally licensed drivers (n = 101) from Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory (Australia), while the second, and separate sample, was of provisionally licensed drivers (n = 132) from Queensland. A series of regression analyses identified that parents who reported higher levels of control were more likely to feel responsible for their child's driving and to have a child that complied with licensing restrictions. Parents who reported higher levels of support were more likely to offer their child practical assistance in order to help them to comply with licensing restrictions. Young drivers who reported that their parents had higher levels of control were more likely to indicate that they complied with restrictions. Given that parenting style appears to influence provisional driver compliance with licensing requirements, there may be an opportunity to develop interventions to enhance compliance.

Novice drivers’ experiences of parental encouragement with road rules in Queensland: Scope for a third party policing approach?

This study explored whether a third party policing approach is appropriate for increasing young driver compliance with graduated driver licensing restrictions. Focus groups (n = 3) and semi-structured interviews (n = 24) were conducted with young drivers from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Participants (n = 39 in total) were aged 17 to 19 years and held a Provisional 1 or 2 licence. Many young drivers appreciated the involvement of their parents in their novice driving period and reported that parents provided practical support and planning strategies. There is potential for the use of a third party policing intervention to improve compliance amongst young drivers.

Association between higher-order driving instruction and risky driving behaviours: Exploring the mediating effects of a self-regulated safety orientation

Adolescents' risky driving behaviours contribute to their over-representation in road trauma. Higher-order driving instruction is suggested to reduce such behaviours. To sustain positive behaviours in the long-term, self-determination theory identifies self-regulation as fundamental. The current research explored associations between higher-order driving instruction, risky driving behaviours, and a self-regulated safety orientation. Learner drivers (n = 544), aged 16-19 years, responded to a 91-item survey. Self-regulated safety orientation was found to fully mediate the relationship between higher-order driving instruction and inattentive risky driving behaviours, and between anticipatory higher-order driving instruction and intentional risky driving behaviours. A partial mediation was found between self-regulatory higher-order instruction and intentional risky driving behaviours. These results support that higher-order driving instruction, delivered to develop a self-regulated safety orientation, has potential to reduce young novice drivers' risky driving behaviours. Further research is recommended to triangulate these results through direct observation and longitudinal evaluation.

Effects of driver sleepiness and fatigue on violations among truck drivers in India

This study aims at capturing the influence of driver drowsiness on prevalence of traffic violations among long-haul truck drivers. The study is based on a roadside survey of 453 long-haul truck drivers, stopping at eateries and rest locations on highways connected to three Indian cities- Mumbai, Indore and Nagpur. The survey questionnaire was categorized into three sections: driver demographics, work-rest schedules and safety critical driver behavior (violations and lapses) in the last five years. The questions regarding unsafe driving practices like speeding, overtaking were combined to form a single factor 'violations' using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A generalized linear model using negative binomial regression predicted young drivers (aged below 25 years), long working hours, insufficient sleeping hours, driving after mid-night, sleepiness on the wheel and frequent traffic violations as significant contributors of violations among the long-haul truck drivers.