In October-November 2000, a field experiment was done in the traffic environment of the city of Leeuwarden, to study the effects of a 16-hour moped driver training on the driving skills of young, inexperienced Dutch moped riders (See ITRD E203869). This report presents the results of a follow-up measurement of driving skills of 35 of the original 46 test participants, about eleven months after their last driving test. The present results give insight into the long-term development of driving skills of both groups of moped riders, those who had followed the training course, and those who had not. The results are relevant in the light of the promise of the Minister of Transport and Public Works, to introduce a legal driving exam for moped riders as from 1st July 2003. The results present an ambiguous picture. Considered in terms of average driving performance, the group of trainees shows a constant performance level between the first measurement and the second measurement, eleven months later. The group of non-trainees shows improvement in their average performance in this same period. Considered in terms of pass rate on the driving test, the picture is less rosy. The group of non-trainees has a constant low level pass rate (less than 10%) after both measurements. The group of trainees shows a fall in pass rate from the first measurement (43%) to the second measurement (19%). It can be concluded that, whereas on average the trainees succeed in maintaining their improved driving performance, they fail to do so on all relevant aspects of their performance, causing them to fail the test in official Dutch exam terms. The implications of these findings are presented within the context of the discussion about the concept of Continuous Traffic Education.
Abstract