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Evaluating a novice driver and pre-driver road safety intervention.
A Ian Glendon1, Brenton McNally1, Amy Jarvis1
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|December 25, 2013
Summary
A road safety intervention for high school students unexpectedly increased risky attitudes toward unsafe driving behaviors. This study highlights the need for careful evaluation of traffic psychology interventions for young drivers.
Area of Science:
- Traffic psychology
- Road safety interventions
- Adolescent driver behavior
Background:
- Intervention and evaluation studies are underrepresented in traffic psychology research.
- Understanding the effectiveness of road safety programs is crucial for improving young driver safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a road safety intervention program targeting attitudes and risk perception in high school students.
- To compare changes in attitudes and perceived risk toward unsafe driving between an intervention group and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-experimental design comparing high school students (n=133) in a road safety program with a matched control group (n=172).
- Measurements of attitudes and perceived risk toward unsafe driving were taken at three time points: pre-intervention (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), and 6-week follow-up (T3).
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significantly riskier attitudes toward unsafe driving behaviors from T1 to T2 and T3, unlike the control group.
- No significant differences in perceived risk toward unsafe driving were observed between groups or over time (T1 to T3).
Conclusions:
- The evaluated road safety intervention did not reduce engagement in unsafe driving behaviors and may have inadvertently increased risky attitudes.
- Further research and rigorous evaluation are needed to design effective road safety programs that genuinely reduce unsafe driving among young novice drivers.
