A Class I moped license (AM) to drive a Class I moped (“EU moped”) was introduced on 1 October 2009 and included a practical and theoretical course. Previously, a driving permit was sufficient. The Swedish Transport Agency has assigned the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) to evaluate the effects these new rules have had on the risk awareness of new moped riders. In summary, the results showed that the AM training programme had little impact on risk behaviour and attitudes to such behaviour while, at the same time, many respondents regarded the programme as useful. One plausible explanation is that despite the new course programme, enough emphasis is not given to risk awareness and self-assessment and that the focus is still on rules and regulation. During the summer and autumn of 2010, 1.500 persons aged 15–24 who had acquired a moped driving permit immediately prior to the entry into force of the new regulations (i.e. in September 2009) were invited to participate in an on-line survey. The follow-up study was carried out one year later with a similar group who had acquired an AM moped license in September 2010. The final sample included 901 persons in the before study and 946 persons in the after study. The survey included two different scenarios with clear descriptions to which the respondent was asked to react. One situation involved riding a moped at 65 km/h in a built-up area in which the speed limit was 50 km/h, and the other situation was riding home from a party just before midnight after drinking alcohol. The survey also raised the question of other behaviour that contravened traffic regulations, for example the trimming of motors. The results indicated that attitudes to alcohol and speed varied somewhat in the before and the after study. One important aim of this study was to increase our understanding of what motivates young people to take risks in traffic. The results showed that respondents who wanted to speed or drink and ride were more likely than others to consider that such persons were cool, confident and clever. On the other hand, it was considered to a lesser degree that they were selfish and that they had a need to impress others. The image of a person who rode a moped too fast was more positive than that of a person who rode a moped after drinking two strong beers. The study also showed that those who wanted to behave in this manner could identify with people of this kind. This applied to both girls and boys. In the case of girls, however, they regarded such behaviour as less “boy like”. Factors which predicted their willingness to speed in an urban area was that the behaviour was fun. Another important factor was that they could identify with people who behaved in this manner, and that they liked them. With regard to riding a moped under the influence of alcohol were that the respondents could identify with people of this kind, and also that they liked them. Parental acceptance was also important, and they felt some pressure from their friends, since they thought that their friends wanted them to ride home. (Author/publisher) This report may be accessed by Internet users at http://www.vti.se/en/publications/evaluation-of-the-effects-of-new-rule…
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