Some accounts of risk taking suggest that mis-judgements of ability are a primary contributor to young drivers' accident involvement, because young drivers with misplaced confidence in their ability expose themselves to risks with which they cannot cope. Studies that appear to support this position show that most drivers consider themselves better than average drivers, and that sensation seeking is an important youthful motivation. However, more methodologically sound studies show that the tendency to overstate driving ability, while present in many drivers, is much more evident in more experienced, less accident involved, drivers. Furthermore, studies that measure the development of a sense of driving competence show that assessments of ability are both realistic and corroborated by external assessments. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E206301.
Samenvatting