YOUNG DRIVERS ARE STATISTICALLY OVERREPRESENTED IN ROAD ACCIDENTS. THEIR ELEVATED RISK IS A COMPLEX FUNCTION OF CHRONOLOGICAL AGE AND DRIVING EXPERIENCE, BOTH OF WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACCEPTANCE AND MISPERCEPTION OF RISK ON THE ROAD. A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COGNITIVE CHANGES WHICH ACCOMPANY THEIR TRANSITION FROM NOVICE TO EXPERIENCED DRIVER STATUS SHOULD ALLOW US TO ELUCIDATE THE FACTORS UNDERLYING THEIR ACCEPTANCE AND MISPERCEPTION OF TRAFFIC RISK. WITH SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING, WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO TAKE DECISIONS ABOUT IMPROVING THEIR SAFETY VIA TRAINING AND EDUCATION SCHEMES RATHER THAN VIA LEGISLATIVE CONSTRAINTS ON THEIR EXPOSURE TO RISK. THIS PAPER CONSIDERS EVIDENCE THAT YOUNG DRIVERS UNDERESTIMATE CERTAIN TRAFFIC HAZARDS AND OVERESTIMATE THEIR OWN DRIVING ABILITIES. THE POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION OF THESE MISPERCEPTIONS TO THEIR FAULTY DECISION TAKING DURING SKILLS ACQUISITION IS DISCUSSED IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT FINDINGS FROM RELEVANT RESEARCH. SOME IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACCIDENT COUNTERMEASURES ARE INDICATED. (A) THIS PAPER WAS INCLUDED IN THE PROCEEDINGS OF A CEC WORKSHOP ON RISKY DECISION-MAKING IN TRANSPORT HELD AT THE TNO INSTITUTE FOR PERCEPTION, THE NETHERLANDS, 9-11 NOVERMBER 1986, (BROWN,I AND JANSSEN,W EDITORS).
Abstract