Participation in driver education/training courses during graduated driver licensing, and the effect of a time-discount on subsequent traffic offenses: Findings from the New Zealand Drivers Study

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• 作者：Dorothy Begg ; ^{dorothy.begg@ipru.otago.ac.nz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}Author Vitae ; Rebecca Brookland ^{rebecca.brookland@ipru.otago.ac.nz" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}Author Vitae
• 关键词：Young drivers ; Time-discount ; Graduated driver licensing
• 刊名：Journal of Safety Research
• 出版年：2015
• 出版时间：December 2015
• 年：2015
• 卷：55
• 期：Complete
• 页码：13-20
• 全文大小：456 K

文摘

The New Zealand GDL includes a time-discount at the restricted license stage, for attendance at an approved driver education course. This is despite international evidence showing that earlier licensure associated with a time-discount can increase risk for newly licensed drivers.

Objective

To examine participation in driver education courses and especially those that qualify for a time-discount; compare the profiles of course participants with non-participants; examine reasons for participation; and examine the association between a time-discount and traffic offenses once fully licensed.

Method

This study was based on the New Zealand Drivers Study (NZDS), a prospective cohort study of newly licensed drivers. Data on driver education courses were obtained at the full license interview (n = 1763), driver license and traffic offense data from the NZ Driver Licence Registry, and other data at the NZDS interviews.

Results

94% had heard of and 49% (n = 868) participated in a defensive driving course (DDC). No other course had more than 1% participation. Compared with the others, the DDC group were young, non-Māori, and from an area of relatively low deprivation. Through GDL, the DDC group were relatively more compliant with the conditions, and less likely to crash or receive a traffic offense notice. The groups did not differ on personality, alcohol and drug use. The reason most (85%) attended a DDC was to get their full license sooner; 86% (n = 748) received a time-discount. The time-discount group were 40% more likely to receive a traffic offense notice on their full license; this reduced to 10% after controlling for other factors.

Conclusion and practical implications

The results of this study, when viewed in conjunction with other NZ crash evidence, indicate that a time-discount should not be given for completing a DDC or Street Talk course.