Learner Drivers Not Getting Enough Experience: University Of Adelaide

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Sep 2, 2009
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YOUNG DRIVERS ARE TWICE as likely to have an accident in their first few months of holding a provisional ('P-plater') licence than after a year of driving experience, a University of Adelaide study has found.

Learner drivers in South Australia currently must log 50 hours of supervised driving experience (soon to be increased to 75 hours). By comparison, Victorian and NSW learners must log 120 hours.

According to the university's Centre for Automotive Safety Research spokesman Craig Kloeden, the results show that whether it is 50, 75 or 120 hours, learner drivers are still not gaining enough experience.

 

"The study indicates that it is many hundreds of hours before young drivers become competent in a vehicle," Mr Kloeden said.

"Given that young drivers are 15 times more likely to have an accident once they move from their learners to a provisional licence there is a strong case for extending the length of the learner phase even more."

 

The study surveyed 50,000 young drivers aged 16-19 over a five year period, and found that two types of crashes were commonplace in the first 12 months of gaining a provisional licence: veering off the road and colliding with fixed objects, and failing to correctly negotiate a right-hand turn across traffic.

 

"By the end of their first year of a provisional licence, these types of accidents were far less common," Mr Kloeden said.

"It demonstrates that time spent behind the wheel is a very important determinant of crash risk."

 

Mr Kloeden said that having young drivers log more supervised hours than currently required would encourage safer driving behaviour in the long term, leading to a decreased risk of accidents early on in their unsupervised driving experience.

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Comments

  • Mick [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    I wonder if a University might like to do a study of how many young drivers had the stereo on full blast when involved in an accident.

    Or is there any stats about.
    I'd like to know.
  • Joe [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    Talk about state the obvious! As if the current road toll and POOR general driver skill on the road - ESPECIALLY in Adelaide - wasn't enough to judge this..

    Mick, not sure how the volume of a stereo affects a person's ability to drive - I suppose you also believe that 'hoons' are everywhere and out to kill people just for fun..
  • Tony D [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    Doesn't help that the people who should be teaching them good habits- their parents- usually wouldn't pass the licence exam themselves, love a good road rage, etc. You can't blame the P-platers for feeling invincible when 'everyone else' (generalisation obviously) on the road is acting that way too.
  • Ellimist [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    someone make defensive driving courses compulsory already. 2 at least. a beginner and advanced one. along with the 120hrs.
  • Morris [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    Quick Mick, lets stop P platers using their stereos past 11 at night. That will save lives. Right NSW government?

    /sarcasm

    Though many lessons are learnt while on your L's, I believe (well in my experience anyway) that most of the real important lessons, and the ones you will remember for the rest of your driving life come in the time once you have your P's and onwards. I think there needs to be more focus on getting kids doing driver training and such things. Though I realise this raises the question of cost etc

    But I guess kids will always be kids.
  • Mick [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    OK OK sarcasm accepted.
    But I still wonder where a drivers main concentration is.

    I'm not advocating anything, just asking a question.
  • Eurothusiast [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    Ellimist, I hope that in saying to introduce those things you also believe that current license holders should go through with it. I'd be all for it in that case.

    There's very little you can do about a young person having an accident as they're inexperienced and that's all a part of growing up; learning from mistakes. Sure, it comes at such a huge cost but that really is the only way some people learn.

    There has to be an alternative to just bumping up the hours and increasing the duration that new drivers must be staying on their Provisional. It's gotten to the point where I can see new drivers having to do 1000 hours with a paid professional instructor ($50 a pop/hour) and being on Ps for 10 years.
  • Reggie [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    the best driver ed I've experienced is when I was studying highschool in US. There is an elective in highschool called DriversED. Not only teaches the road rule but other helpful advise like, merging properly, how to use the emergency lane properly, etc.

    That is what missing here, proper driver education in school.
    The best advise I've been given are be aware up to two car ahead, and if an animal abruptly comes in your path don't swerve - hit it.
  • mick [reply]
    7 months ago 0 points
    DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF
    DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF
    DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF DOOF

    Annoying isn't it.

    LOL
    :)
  • brock [reply]
    2 months ago 0 points
    are they uping the age to get your L's and adding more years in 2012?

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