Background Injury and death rates are much higher for overconfident, risk-taking young drivers. Understanding their differing driver personality (Driver IQ) characteristics enables identification and remediation of negative behaviour before or just after licensing, and has a greater impact on youth road safety than any other initiative, particularly any that does not address driver personality.

Aims/Objectives/Purpose To reliably identify risk-taking drivers, and to enrol them in a process of attitude change that permanently improves driving behaviour.

Method Groups of pre-drivers completed a unique questionnaire and as a result self-evaluated into two distinct Driver IQ groups—Demure (cautious) and Dominant (risk-taking) drivers. Drivers in each group then received attitude training that targeted their different needs and characteristics.

Results/Outcomes Drivers trained by this method showed far more willingness to change negative behaviour and their crash rates were reduced by more than 50% over control groups who did not receive such training.

Significance/Contribution to the field Being able to identify and repair poor youth driving behaviour is critical in reducing high levels of youth road trauma. Understanding driver personality types and the different training needs of each type is ground-breaking, and critical to the effective future training of all young drivers. From this knowledge, young drivers will drive with reduced crash risks and will also be prevented from attending ineffective or dangerous training.