Young drivers are vastly over-represented in road accident fatality and injury statistics. This problem causes great social and economic costs which till this day demands for the identification and implementation of efficient countermeasures. One such measure, the Two-phase education for novice car and motorcycle drivers, was implemented in Austria on January 1st 2003. The aim of this new approach was to build a sound continuum in driver training. The Two-phase education for novice car drivers (class B driver´s license) was already successfully evaluated (Gatscha & Brandstätter, 2008). The current report deals with the evaluation of the Two-phase education for novice motorcycle riders (class A driver´s license). The Two-phase education for the class A driving license contains a road safety training on track and further education in psychological aspects of traffic, carried out as a group discussion. These modules have to be completed between three and nine months after gaining the driving license for class A. In 2008, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology decided to assign the Austrian Road Safety Board (KfV) to evaluate this measure in terms of accidents, attitudes and acceptance among novice riders. In order to estimate effects on traffic safety, the evaluation design was based on three levels: * data from the Austrian Central Driving License Register in order to get an impression of the general acceptance (e.g. compliance with deadlines), * a process evaluation based on an Austrian wide survey among participants and * statistical before-after accident analyses. Results indicate a good acceptance of the measure as well as a practical relevance. The process evaluation shows positive effects, as especially male participants learn to have a more realistic view about their own riding style, their exaggerated opinion of themselves considering motorcycle riding abilities being corrected and positive changes in attitudes regarding safety-relevant statements are observable. However, the statistical accident analyses did not reveal any effect in terms of a reduction of overall numbers of accidents. To make the Twophase motorcycle rider education more effective which means to achieve a significant accident reducing impact a) awareness rising measures should be more pronounced in the second phase education, b) some contents should be improved (like risk anticipating driving), c) the model should be modified according to the 3rd European Directive on Driving Licences, and d) a quality assurance system should be implemented. (Author/publisher)
Abstract