Development of student drivers' self-assessment accuracy during French driver training: Self-assessments compared to instructors' assessments in three risky driving situations

Promoting self-assessment accuracy among student drivers could help improve road safety for young novice drivers (Minimum Requirement for Driving Instructor Training, 2005). It is crucial to investigate the development of this ability in student drivers, although few studies have been conducted on this issue to our knowledge. The present study was aimed at examining the development of accuracy in student drivers’ self-assessments. Students’ self-ratings of their skills were compared to instructors’ ratings based on the students’ progression through the four steps of the French driver training course. The ratings were collected from two versions of an ad hoc questionnaire about students’ ability to turn right, overtake another vehicle, and turn left in driving situations. The questionnaire included a three-part assessment scale (six driving subtasks required to perform the maneuver, the number of driving subtasks managed simultaneously, and the student's autonomy), demographic data, and the students’ progress in the training program. The participants were 149 student drivers (58 men and 91 women) with a mean age of 22.2 years, and 38 professional driving instructors (36 men and 2 women) from 13 driving schools in Paris. The psychometric quality of the scale was satisfactory (α_s > .9) concerning the self-ratings as well as the instructors’ ratings in the three parts of the scale. As a whole and as expected, the self-ratings and the instructors’ ratings became increasingly positive as the training progressed, on each part of the assessment scale. The students’ and the instructors’ ratings did not differ significantly between the three driving situations tested, nor between male and female students in each training step. Furthermore, students’ overestimation of their driving skills was mainly observed on step 1, less on steps 2 and 3, but never on step 4. Thus, the students became rather aware of their current driving skills as the driver training course progressed. The results on the development of the self-assessment accuracy in driver training are discussed.     

Thrill and Adventure Seeking as a modifier of the relationship of perceived risk with risky driving among young drivers

Risky driving contributes to road trauma, a leading cause of mortality among young people. Health-relevant behaviour models suggest a negative relationship between risky driving and perceived risk of its outcomes. However, high sensation seekers may value the “thrill” of the risk, and positive associations between sensation seeking and risky driving have been observed. This is the first study to examine whether aspects of sensation seeking modify the relationship between perceived risk and risky driving. Young drivers in metropolitan Sydney and rural New South Wales [NSW] (n = 797) completed a survey relating to one of the four risky driving behaviours (speeding, drink-driving, driving while fatigued, and failing to wear a seatbelt). Results suggest that the Thrill and Adventure Seeking subscale of Zuckerman's (1994) Sensation Seeking Scale moderate the relationship of perceived risk with risky driving – indicating a negative relationship for low-scores, but not high-scorers, on the TAS subscale. Thus, road safety campaigns that emphasize the riskiness of a particular behaviour may be of limited benefit to thrill and adventure seekers.     

Personality subtypes of young moped drivers, their relationship to risk-taking behavior and involvement in road crashes in an Austrian sample

Objective

This study aimed to identify subtypes of young moped drivers and analyze how these subtypes are involved in risk preferences and road crashes.

Design

A group of Austrian teenage moped drivers (213, 28% girls) completed an online questionnaire about moped usage, injuries, driving style, inattention, impulsivity, and personality according to the Five-Factor Model of Personality and Cloninger's model of personality.

Results

A cluster analysis yielded four types of moped drivers. One type was characterized by a high level of neuroticism, the second type was characterized by a risky personality and a risky driving style, the third type had a more cautious driving style, and the fourth type was characterized by a risky personality and high levels on inattention and impulsivity.

Conclusions

Our conclusions suggest that young moped drivers should not be perceived as a homogenous group, according to measures of injury prevention and intervention.     

Risk perception of driving as a function of advanced training aimed at recognizing and handling risks in demanding driving situations

The present study examined in 224 individuals whether an advanced driving training aimed at recognizing, avoiding and handling risks in demanding driving situations, affected perceived risk of driving situations (measured by a questionnaire). The training, which involved both experience and feedback on real performance, specifically intended to emphasize the dangers in loss of control of a vehicle. With that emphasis, it was hypothesized that perceived risk would increase after as compared to before the training. In addition, this study examined whether risk perception was dependent on gender or on age. A mixed ANOVA performed on mean scores on the questionnaire yielded significant main effects for training (before/after), gender, and age. Higher levels of perceived risk were reported after the training as compared to before it, by females than by males, and by older adult drivers than by younger adult drivers. An analysis of the data of a smaller sample showed that the increment in perceived risk was still present 2 months after the training, and that it did not decrease significantly as compared to immediately after the training. These results are discussed in relation to relevant methodological issues and future research.