Crash involvements of 16-year-old drivers
Abstract
All reported crashes—property damage, nonfatal injury, and fatal—estimated for 1993 in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's General Estimates System were examined for 16-year-old drivers. Results were compared to the crash involvements of other teenagers, older drivers, and fatal injury crash involvements as tabulated by the Fatal Accident Reporting System. Sixteen-year-olds were more likely than other teenagers and older drivers to be involved in single-vehicle crashes, and to be in crashes between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. They were also more likely to have been charged with a moving violation and to have been culpable for the crash. Sixteen-year-old drivers in crashes, compared with other teenage drivers, were proportionately more likely to be female and to be accompanied by other teenage passengers. These differences among 16-year-olds, other teenagers, and older drivers are also found when only fatal crashes are considered. Characteristics of the crashes of 16-year-olds can be used as a guide in establishing licensing policies for initial license holders.
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Cited by (71)
Developing and testing a hazard prediction task for novice drivers: A novel application of naturalistic driving videos
2020, Journal of Safety ResearchIntroduction: Novice drivers’ inability to appropriately anticipate and respond to hazards has been implicated in their elevated crash risk. Our goal was to develop a driving hazard prediction task using naturalistic videos from the U.S. context that could distinguish between novice and experienced drivers. Method: Using the query builder from the SHRP 2 InSight Data Access Website, we identified a sample of 1034 videos for further review. Task criteria reduced these to 30 videos of near-crash events that were split into event and non-event segments and were used to develop the driving hazard prediction task (task). Participants, aged 16–20 years-old (22 novice and 19 experienced drivers) completed the task during which they watched event and non-event videos and were asked, “How likely was the driver of this car to get into a crash?” after each video. Overall ratings for hazardousness were calculated for experienced and novice drivers as well as a group difference score for hazardousness. Results: All participants rated event videos as more hazardous than non-event videos, but there was no main effect of group. Rather, there was a significant EventbyGroup interaction in which there were no group differences in hazard ratings for non-event videos, but experienced drivers rated event videos as more hazardous than novice drivers. Specific characteristics of the event videos, such as the hazard development period, were related to differences between novice and experienced drivers’ hazardousness ratings. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first use of naturalistic driving videos from an existing database as experimental stimuli. We found that the task discriminated between novice and experienced drivers’ ratings of hazardousness. This distinction suggests naturalistic driving videos may be viable stimuli for experimental studies. Practical Applications: The application of naturalistic driving video database for experimental research may hold promise.
An Analysis of Young Driver Crash Types and the Associated Lifetime Care Cost in Victoria, Australia
2015, Traffic Injury PreventionObjective: The elevated crash involvement rate of young drivers is well documented. Given the higher crash risk of young drivers and the need for innovative policy and programs, it remains important to fully understand the type of crashes young drivers are involved in, and knowledge of the lifetime care cost of crashes can support effective policy development. The aim of this article is to document the number and type of young driver crashes, as well as the associated lifetime care cost over a 9-year period (2005–2013) in Victoria, Australia.
Methods: In Victoria, Australia, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has legislated responsibility for road safety and the care of persons injured in road crashes, irrespective of fault. TAC claims data for the period 2005–2013 were used to document the number and type of young driver crashes. Lifetime care costs (past and future payment liabilities) were calculated by Taylor Fry actuarial consultancy. License and population data were used to define the crash involvement rate of young drivers.
Results: Over the 9-year period, 16,817 claims were lodged to the TAC by drivers 18–25 years of age following a crash. There were 646 fewer drivers aged 18–25 killed and injured in 2013, compared to 2005, representing an unadjusted change of −28.7% (−29.8% males; −28.4% females). The total lifetime care cost of young drivers killed and injured in Victoria for the period 2005–2013 was estimated to be AU$634 million (US$493 million). Differences between males and females, single- and multivehicle crashes, and fatalities and injuries were found to be statistically significant. Run-off-road crashes and crashes from opposing direction were overrepresented in the lifetime care costs for young driver claimants. Twenty-eight injured drivers were classified as high-severity claims. These 28 claimants require additional long-term care, which was estimated to be AU$219 million; of these 28, 24 were male (85.7%). The long-term care costs for these 28 drivers (0.16%) accounts for 34.5% of the total lifetime care cost of all 18- to 25-year-old injured drivers.
Conclusions: By using no-fault lifetime care costs that account for medical and like expenses, rehabilitation, and social reintegration costs, a more accurate understanding of the cost of young driver crashes can be determined. Application of these costs to specific crash types highlights new priorities and opportunities for developing programs to reduce young driver crashes.
Driving errors of learner teens: Frequency, nature and their association with practice
2014, Accident Analysis and PreventionDespite demonstrating basic vehicle operations skills sufficient to pass a state licensing test, novice teen drivers demonstrate several deficits in tactical driving skills during the first several months of independent driving. Improving our knowledge of the types of errors made by teen permit holders early in the learning process would assist in the development of novel approaches to driver training and resources for parent supervision.
The purpose of the current analysis was to describe driving performance errors made by teens during the permit period, and to determine if there were differences in the frequency and type of errors made by teens: (1) in comparison to licensed, safe, and experienced adult drivers; (2) by teen and parent-supervisor characteristics; and (3) by teen-reported quantity of practice driving. Data for this analysis were combined from two studies: (1) the control group of teens in a randomized clinical trial evaluating an intervention to improve parent-supervised practice driving (n = 89 parent-teen dyads) and (2) a sample of 37 adult drivers (mean age 44.2 years), recruited and screened as an experienced and competent reference standard in a validation study of an on-road driving assessment for teens (tODA). Three measures of performance: drive termination (i.e., the assessment was discontinued for safety reasons), safety-relevant critical errors, and vehicle operation errors were evaluated at the approximate mid-point (12 weeks) and end (24 weeks) of the learner phase. Differences in driver performance were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Pearson's Chi-square test for categorical variables.
10.4% of teens had their early assessment terminated for safety reasons and 15.4% had their late assessment terminated, compared to no adults. These teens reported substantially fewer behind the wheel practice hours compared with teens that did not have their assessments terminated: tODAearly (9.0 vs. 20.0, p < 0.001) and tODAlate (19.0 vs. 58.3, p < 0.001). With respect to critical driving errors, 55% of teens committed a total of 85 critical errors (range of 1–5 errors per driver) on the early tODA; by comparison, only one adult committed a critical error (p < 0.001). On the late tODA, 54% of teens committed 67 critical errors (range of 1–8 errors per driver) compared with only one adult (p < 0.001). No differences in teen or parent gender, parent/teen relationship type or parent prior experience teaching a teen to drive were observed between teens who committed a critical error on either route and teens that committed no critical errors. A borderline association between median teen-reported practice quantity and critical error commission was observed for the late tODA. The overall median proportion of vehicle operation errors for teens was higher than that of adults on both assessments, though median error proportions were less than 10% for both teens and adults.
In comparison to a group of experienced adult drivers, a substantially higher proportion of learner teens committed safety-relevant critical driving errors at both time points of assessment. These findings, as well as the associations between practice quantity and the driving performance outcomes studied suggest that further research is needed to better understand how teens might effectively learn skills necessary for safe independent driving while they are still under supervised conditions.
Assessment of the Role of Training and Licensing Systems in Changing the Young Driver's Behavior
2014, International Journal of Transportation Science and TechnologyYoung driver crashes are over represented in any country's crash statistics. This problem is more acute in developing countries where the law enforcement is not strict and the licensing structure is not well developed. According to World Health Organization (WHO) road crashes are the single greatest cause of death for men aged 15-29 years old. More than 8500 young drivers die each year in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and the death rates for young drivers are doubled than the older aged drivers. Young driver crashes and deaths cause great economic, social cost on individuals, families and societies. Many research studies have been conducted to find out the causes of crash and deaths. These found that the conventional youth training schemes help young learner to develop their driving skills and knowledge, meanwhile they do not help to gain real road driving experience. Research shows that the lack of driving experience, higher order perception and maturity increase young driver crash exposure. To this end, Graduated Driver Licensing System (GDLS) have been developed. GDLS helps young drivers to focus on road driving experience and it divided the whole licensing process into different phases. It also helps the young drivers to get supervised driving experience which help them to accumulate driving hours to get the provisional license. The GDLS helps not only in gaining experience in driving but also in developing the higher order perception (hazard perception) which is very much needed during driving. This paper discusses a number of driver's licensing systems and training programs and highlights the need for a licensing system that focus not only on the development of better hazard perception and understanding the road environment for young drivers but also on some other factors that affect road safety. It is argued that the consultation of community concerning the development of a licensing system is essential to minimize road crashes in the youth group as it would guarantee that the young drivers are fully aware of various driving risk factors at training stage rather than the practicing stage.
The relative odds of involvement in seven crash configurations by driver age and sex
2012, Journal of Adolescent HealthMuch is known about sex and age differences in collision types, but most studies have examined the effect of declining physical and mental capabilities on older drivers' performance. Fewer studies have focused on the relationship between younger driver's sex and crash type, and these studies have largely ignored the multidimensionality of crashes, have not consistently examined sex differences, and are based on outdated data. This study addressed these issues by examining differences in the likelihood of involvement in seven crash configurations between adolescent and adult male and female drivers.
Fatal crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and nonfatal crash data from the General Estimation System for years 2005–2009 were used. Crash configurations were identified using point of initial impact, manner of collision, and vehicle action (i.e., striking or struck). Logistic regression estimated relative odds ratios among four driver groups: male and female drivers aged 15–19 years, and male and female drivers aged 45–64 years.
Crash likelihood varied dramatically by driver age and sex across crash configuration. Adolescent male drivers were most likely to be in single-vehicle and fatal head-on crashes; adolescent drivers had a higher likelihood of front-to-rear crashes; adults had the highest likelihood of rear-end crashes; and female drivers had higher likelihoods of left- and right-side crashes.
These findings may result from differences in driving experience, driving styles, or cognitive spatial abilities. Future research is needed to identify contributors to different crash configurations so that they can be directly addressed through tailored interventions and programs.
Young Drivers
2011, Handbook of Traffic PsychologyTraffic crashes are the leading cause of injury among teenagers. The causative agents of this crisis are multifold, as research clearly suggests that teenagers represent a unique population of drivers who are influenced by a myriad of physical, social, developmental, behavioral, and environmental factors. One of the key challenges in ensuring road traffic safety among the young, from infancy to young adulthood, is that one must anticipate and design according to the range of safety behaviors, which for children rapidly evolve according to physical, social, emotional, and cognitive developmental stages. The substantial increase in motor vehicle crash injury risk emerges as teens begin to drive and take rides with peers. In adolescence, teen drivers start as learners who are highly dependent on adult supervisors who teach, serve as role models, help to manage the behavior of any passengers within the car, and provide a second “set of eyes” looking for hazards on the road. Within just a year of their first driving experience, most teens are licensed as independent drivers with the primary responsibility for the driving task as well as managing passenger behavior and interacting with other road users. Successful development of driving skills, expertise, and competencies, including psychomotor, cognitive, and perceptual proficiencies, requires a balance between safety limits and the freedom to explore and test the teen's ability. Although novice teen drivers can acquire basic operational driving skills, a watershed of new research reveals that biological and cognitive factors inherent to the adolescent developmental period may affect the capacity of young persons to perform safe-driving behaviors effectively.
- 1
he holds an MS degree in Psychology from Fordham University.
- 2
Allan F. Williams is Senior Vice President for Research with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; he holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University.
- 3
David F. Preusser is President of PRG, Inc.; he holds a PhD degree in Psychology from Yale University.