Advances in motor vehicle engineering, particularly in relation to crash impact, as well as preventive strategies such as seat belt restraint, airbags, and improved roadway design have resulted in enormous advances in the amelioration of motor-vehicle-related injuries over the past four decades. Although further gains can be achieved in these areas, the greatest gains in reducing the mortality and morbidity from motor vehicle crashes can be achieved by understanding the psychosocial factors which contribute to the elevated risk of motor vehicle injury, especially among young people. The objective of this paper therefore, is to determine whether psychosocial factors contribute to the overrepresentation of young drivers in motor vehicle crashes. The study design entailed a prospective cohort study in the Perth metropolitan area. Participants were probationary drivers aged 17 years who were observed during the first 12 months of driving (January 1997 to January 1998). The main outcome measures were police-reported crashes and hospitalisations from motor vehicle crashes during the probationary period. A total of 1023 participants have been followed over a 12-month period. The authors are currently analysing the data and are looking at psychosocial factors as well as driver factors as predictors of crash involvement. The paper reports on the extent to which psychosocial factors contribute to the likelihood of motor vehicle crashes in young drivers. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E202275.
Abstract