Evidence to keep young drivers safe
Recent research has explored the issue of whether young people who were born in other countries might be more vulnerable to road crashes in Australia. The study of over 20,000 newly-licensed (P1) drivers in New South Wales in particular explored differences between Australian-born drivers, those born in Asia and those born in all other countries (grouped together due to mostly small numbers).
Road safety improvements are not adequately reaching youth aged 17-20 or living in rural or low SES areas – targeted intervention is needed.
Does psychological distress increase crash risk for young drivers? ‘Psychological distress’ is a mental health state that includes symptoms of both depression and anxiety. There are several reasons why a link between psychological distress and motor vehicle crash might exist.
Could some crashes be an act of self harm? In Australia up to 4,700 young people are hospitalised per year following a crash. There are 24,087 young people hospitalised per year following self harm. But is there a link? Young
Does school-based driver education improve student safety? School-based driver education programs have a long and ill-famed history in Australia. They began to grow popular and spread widely in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s and soon began to
Should young drivers be restricted from high-powered vehicles? Some states (Victoria, NSW, and Queensland) have introduced high-powered vehicle restrictions for Provisional drivers. These restrictions limit young drivers from driving certain types of high-powered cars, such as those with eight or more
Should restrictions on passengers apply to young drivers? Australia and international research clearly demonstrates that young and multiple passengers are a significant crash risk factor for young drivers. The greater the number of peer-aged passengers, the greater the risk of crashing, and the greater
Should young drivers be restricted from driving at night? The highest risk of death for young drivers involved in road crashes occurs during the night-time hours; especially nearing midnight and into the early morning hours, and during these times on weekends.
Should supervised hours be mandated for Learners and as high as 120 hours? All six Australian States (but neither Territory) have introduced a mandatory minimum number of supervised driving hours for Learners before they can apply for the Provisional licence tests. The
Is driving on a rural road more risky? Australian studies have found that young drivers are more likely to crash in urban areas; however, they are six times more likely to be severely injured when involved in a rural crash