Young driver behaviour in Gloucestershire (research)

Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership is conducting a programme of awareness and behavioural change among young drivers (17-24) in the county. The programme began with a study among local young drivers looking at:

• Passengers’ experiences
• Drivers’ experiences
• Causes of accidents
• Changing behaviour

Conclusions
The survey provided clear supporting evidence for the established causes of poor driving behaviour among young drivers. It confirms that most drivers are over-confident, that many drive too fast, and that drivers experience and take part in many distractions. It shows that young drivers are far too willing to take risks, particularly when overtaking.

The one finding which the authors describe as ‘surprising’ is that only a minority of passengers encounter drivers under the influence.

Passengers can feel disquiet and fear, but some can influence drivers to change their behaviour. The report authors ‘hint’ that more might be done to support and strengthen passengers and the peer pressure they can bring to bear.

The report says there is significant appetite among respondents for action to tackle the problem. The report says they want more education to create a greater understanding of the dangers, backed up by more intense police activity and harsher penalties.

Next steps
A further phase of research will be followed by a campaign/intervention that will be developed by the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership in conjunction with students from Gloucestershire College. The campaign is scheduled to go live in March 2013.