Abstract
The per-mile crash rate of drivers under age 20 is over five times that of the adult population in general, while that of 16-year-old novices is approximately ten times that of adults. In this study, reports of over 2,000 non-fatal crashes involving young drivers were analysed for behavioural crash contributors as a step in orienting preventive efforts. The great majority of non-fatal crashes resulted from errors in attention, visual search, speed relative to conditions, hazard recognition, and emergency manoeuvres, with high speeds and patently risky behaviour accounting from but a small minority. The pattern of errors for novices did not differ significantly from that of more experienced youth. (A)