Details are given of the results of a study in which 8000 defensive driving course (ddc) graduates were matched with a control group of 2400 drivers. All ddc drivers reported their accidents and violations for one year before entering the course and for the year following completion of the course. The control group drivers gave similar reports for the second year only. Results show that self-reported accidents among ddc graduates were reduced by nearly one third in the year following the course, that some types of collisions were less frequent by 40% among ddc drivers, and that the latter group showed a marked increase in the use of their safety belts. Several factors were found to affect ddc result: sex (the before-and-after difference in the number of accidents being far greater for men), age (drivers under 24 did not show the same decrease as other age groups) and types of collision (pedestrian, motor vehicle in traffic, parked vehicle, train, two-wheeled vehicle and animals).
Abstract