A comprehensive investigation of the risky driving behaviour of young novice drivers

1. A comprehensive investigation of the risky driving behaviour of young novice drivers Presenter: Bridie Scott-Parker, PhD Candidate (Prof Barry Watson, Dr Mark King, Dr Melissa Hyde) Directions in Road Safety Research, Brisbane,18-19 June 2012

2. Extent of the Problem • Queensland, 2010 • 23% of all persons killed in car crashes 17-24 years (12% of the state’s population) • Queensland, 1 July 2004 – 30 June 2009 • The young driver was at fault in 81% of fatality and 72% of hospitalisation crashes • Cost of crashes?

3. 600 500 400 300 No. drivers in casualty crashes 200 100 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Years after licensing Casualty Crash Involvement in Queensland by Licence Type Learner licence phase Provisional licence phase Open licence phase Source: Queensland Government, 2005

4. My PhD Research Program • Study 1: Inform the development of the survey instrument for Studies 2 and 3 • Study 1A: State-wide sample of young novice drivers • N = 761, attending a tertiary institution,17-25 years old, Provisional licence • Online questionnaire exploring driving attitudes and behaviours • Study 1B: Small group and individual interviews in a local shopping centre • N = 21, 16-25 years old, Learner or Provisional driver’s licence • Questions exploring influence of parents, peers, and Police on risky driving (imitation, punishments, rewards)

5. My PhD Research Program • Study 2: What is happening in the pre-Licence and Learner phase? • Recruited across Queensland as novices progressed from Learner to Provisional 1 driver’s licence; N = 1170 (17-25 years) • Online or paper questionnaire • Study 3: What is happening during the first six months of the Provisional 1 licence? • All participants from Study 2 invited to participate • Online or paper questionnaire • N = 390

6. Theoretical Framework Bandura’s Reciprocal Determinism Model

7. Key findings: Behaviour How do we measure it? Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS) • Transient violations 13 items, e.g., speeding, handheld mobile phone • Fixed violations 10 items, e.g., drink driving, carry more passengers than can fit in car • Misjudgement 9 items, e.g., misjudging speed of oncoming vehicle, missed exit • Risky driving exposure 9 items, e.g., driving tired, carrying friends at night • Driver mood 3 items, e.g., drive faster if in a bad mood

8. Key findings: Behaviour • Pre-Licence drivers (12%) continue risky driving • Most Learners and Provisional 1 (P1) drivers compliant with general and GDL-specific road rules (e.g., night driving, alcohol) • 78% of P1 drivers have their own car within 6 months of licensure; risky driving, offences

9. Key findings: Person • Socio-demographics • Age (younger more speeding, older more difficulty as Learners) • Gender (males consistently more risky) • Ethnicity (not born in Australia/don’t speak English as main language at home more pre-Licence driving, inaccuracy) • Rurality (more avoidance of Police in rural areas) • Car ownership (owners more risky) • Employment status (employed more risky) • Relationship status (partner more pre-licence driving, unsupervised Learner driving, speeding) • Study status (not studying more pre-Licence driving /car)

10. Key findings: Person • Psychological traits/states • Sensitivity to rewards and punishments • Sensitivity to punishment subsumed within influence of anxiety and depression (not considered any further) • Males report greater reward sensitivity • Sensation seeking propensity • Separate influence to reward sensitivity • Males report greater sensation seeking propensity • Psychological distress • Females report greater anxiety and depression • All three variables were significant predictors of self-reported risky driving and of speeding specifically

11. Key findings: Environment (Structural) • Enhanced-GDL • Average of 110 hours recorded in logbook • Average of 92 hours actual driving practice (89.2 hours with parents/friends; 9.7 hours with professional) • Most logbooks accurate (13% ‘rounded’, 4% extra) • Comparison to Learners in former-GDL program • Longer Learner period (12.4 months, now 16.5 months) • More Learner driving practice (63 hours, now 108 hours) • No change in age to Provisional licence (both17.5 years) • Less difficulty getting practice (from 35% to 23%) • Less unsupervised driving (from 17% to 10%) • Fewer crashes and offences

12. Key findings: Environment (Social) • Parents and peers were models • ‘Punishment’ dependent upon outcome (‘bad’ vs ‘not bad’) • Parents • Some facilitated punishment avoidance ( riskier novice driving) • Some low-quality supervision of Learner driving • Peers • Likely to encourage and to reward risky behaviour • Can effectively punish/ discourage risky behaviour but unlikely to do so (‘older friends would, same age would not’) • Police • Punishment avoidance (e.g., talk out of ticket) perceived as reward • ‘Targeting’ novice drivers decreased novice plate compliance • Active avoiders of on-road presence more risky (e.g., speeding)

13. Future Research • Pre-Licence through Provisional 2 period • Pre-Licence driving, unsupervised driving • ‘Readiness’ for licensure • Learner practice characteristics, supervision when risky • Behaviours and attitudes, psychosocial influences • Distraction, driving purpose, own car • Punishment avoidance • Long-term impacts of GDL changes • BYNDS (Refinement /validation; international application) • Trial interventions in Queensland context (Feedback devices; Checkpoints program; ‘Structured’ Learner period) • ‘Problem young driver’ (Develop/ trial interventions)

14. Questions? Contact Details: Bridie Scott-Parker, PhD Candidate b.scott-parker@qut.edu.au Mark your diaries! Occupational Safety in Transport Conference (2012) 20-21 September 2012, Gold Coast • Registrations Open 5 March http://ositconference.com Mark your Diaries! International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety Conference (T2013) 25-28 August 2013, Brisbane