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Accuracy of self-report of on-road crashes and traffic offences in a cohort of young drivers: the DRIVE study
  1. Soufiane Boufous1,
  2. Rebecca Ivers1,
  3. Teresa Senserrick1,
  4. Mark Stevenson1,
  5. Robyn Norton1,
  6. Ann Williamson2
  1. 1The George Institute for International Health, Sydney, Australia
  2. 2Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Soufiane Boufous, Injury Division, The George Institute for International Health, PO Box M201, Missenden Road, NSW 2050, Australia; sboufous{at}george.org.au

Abstract

In order to determine the accuracy of self-report of on-road crashes and traffic offences among participants in the DRIVE study, 2991 young drivers in New South Wales, Australia who completed the follow-up questionnaire were asked whether they had been involved in an on-road crash or were convicted for a traffic offence while driving during the year prior to the survey. This information was linked to police crash data to determine the level of accuracy of self-report of on-road crashes. There was a high level of accuracy in young drivers' self-report of police recorded crashes (85.1%; 95% CI 78.2% to 92.1%) and of police recorded traffic offences (83.0%; 95% CI 79.4% to 86.6%).

Results suggest that surveys may be useful tools for estimating the incidence of on-road crashes and traffic offences in young drivers. The findings are particularly relevant to jurisdictions where access to administrative data is limited.

  • Traffic crashes
  • self-report
  • young drivers

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.2009.024877

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    Footnotes

    • Funding The DRIVE Study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales, NRMA Motoring and Services, NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust, NSW Health, and the Motor Accidents Authority of New South Wales. SB, RI, TS, MS and AW receive salary funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Ethics approval The study was approved by The University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee and the New South Wales Health Ethics, Sydney, Australia.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.