In 1997, the Driving Standards Agency in Great Britain introduced its schools programme. In the academic year 1997-98, this programme was expanded, and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) asked the British Institute of Traffic Education Research (BITER) to evaluate its impact on students' knowledge of and attitudes to driving and driving tests, and also in terms of their actual or intended driving behaviour. In the programme, driving examiners visit schools and sixth-form colleges, and give presentations lasting about 50min to children aged 15-17. Each presentation covers theoretical and practical driving tests and more general road safety issues, and each student is then given a 24-page A4 booklet. Each teacher is given a 24-page resource pack and three road safety videos for follow-up work. In the evaluation, the BITER decided to give each student in the sample a pre-presentation questionnaire, and two post-presentation questionnaires, one immediately afterwards and the other several months later. 95% of the students in the sample were aged 16-17, and 93% were interested in learning to drive a car or had begun to do so. Their answers gave their immediate responses to the presentation, their attitude changes, and their plans to drive. The BITER evaluation showed improved student attitudes after the presentations.
Samenvatting