Traffic accidents are one of the most common causes of death among young people. In 1980s, total of 1520 young people between 18 and 24 were killed in traffic. Road traffic accidents account for 20-30% of fatalities among 15-24 year olds. In 18-24 age group, they are the most common cause of death. Young people are also greatly overrepresented among injured. For many, there is permanent damage and reduced working capacity, and accidents are also very expensive for society. Average cost of a traffic injury over the life of a person is SEK250,000. The psychological, pedagogical, social and other processes which contribute to driving behaviour and accident involvement are insufficiently known. One of the greatest problems underlying accident involvement of young new drivers is that they lack experience. In Sweden, people can start driving practice at 16 and take test at 18. Those who begin practice driving at 16 have, by age 18, 3 times more practice hours that those who started at 17 under previous system. Young drivers overestimate their ability. Tests have shown that new drivers who are made to realise their limitations during training overestimate their ability less than those given skill training, although there is no actual difference in ability.
Abstract