Monitoring of driving experience among learners drivers.

ARRB Transport Research Ltd was commissioned by VicRoads to develop and carry out a survey of driving experience accumulated by learner drivers in Victoria priorto obtaining a probationary licence. The objectives of the project were: (i) to develop a telephone survey to collect information about the amount and variety of driving experience during the learner permit period; (ii) to develop a measure of the total amount of supervised driving experience accumulated during the learner permit period; (iii) to recommend the most appropriate methods for future surveys; and (iv) to provide baseline data for comparison with future surveys. 1318 current learner permit holders and 201 newly licensed drivers were interviewed. The sample was stratified by sex, region of Victoria and length of time holding a learner permit. The sample was weighted prior to the analysis of the response data to ensure that it was representative of the population of Victorian learner permit holders. The average driving experience accumulated during the learner permit period was estimated to be 83 hours, which was considerably higher than the estimate derived from a face-to-face interview survey conducted two years earlier. The average driving experience accumulated by learner permit holders was higher for males than for females and was lower for learners living in Melbourne than for those living in provincial centres, who in turn accumulated less experience than learners from the rest of Victoria. Average driving experience during the learner permit period was higher for those who acquired the learner permit at age 16 years than for those who acquired the permit at age 17 years or more. The demographic groups that accumulated the greatest amount of driving experience also experienced the greatest variety of driving conditions during their supervised driving practice. On average, 14 per cent of total driving experience was accumulated through professional driving lessons and 86 per cent through driving practice supervised by family and friends. (Author/publisher)