The development of a package of integrated learning material to assist young learner drivers

Abstract

Young drivers, including motorcycle riders, are over-represented in crash statistics (Macdonald, Bowland, & Hancock, 1994; Swain & Blake, 1995). This has led researchers to investigate issues relating to young driver crash involvement and driving skill. Early work attempting to link these two concepts has been fraught with methodological problems that rendered the results inconclusive (Mayhew & Simpson, 1995). However, more recent and methodologically sound studies indicate: (1) that driving skills improve with experience; and (2) that more experience is related to fewer crashes (Gregersen & Bjurulf, 1996; Triggs & Smith, 1996). Forsyth (1992) quantified this relationship by suggesting that accident involvement decreases with increasing experience. In addition, there is further indication that young driver crashes are also related to individual motivational factors such as risk-taking (Triffs & Smith, 1996).