Review and assessment of pre-driver interventions in Scotland

This report, commissioned by Transport Scotland and authored by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), says there is no evidence to demonstrate that pre-driver interventions in Scotland are currently effective in terms of improving road safety on their own.The review and assessment of pre-driver interventions adds that no one type of intervention works better than another, and suggests a more coordinated approach could be helpful.

Transport Scotland commissioned the report to obtain a better understanding of how these interventions contribute to Scotland’s Road Safety Framework.

Evidence was gathered via reviews of pre-driver interventions and interviews with local authorities and stakeholders.

Of the most common forms – classroom, theatre or demonstration, expo-style and off-road – the report says the latter offers the most potential for ‘meaningful impact’. However, it says that these interventions also have the biggest potential for harm through adverse unintended consequences by promoting early licensure.

TRL makes a series of long and short-term recommendations in the report which include developing a consistent pre-driver intervention, setting realistic expectations, improving evaluation approaches and encouraging adoption of behaviour change techniques.