This report sets out to assess the nature and extent of the young driver problem and to recommend appropriate road accident countermeasures for implementation in south australia. The scope of the report was limited to drivers of motor cars and did not include a consideration of motorcyclists, although the recommendations could well apply to this group also. In particular, the report assessed the concept of graduated licensing and the graduated driver licensing scheme recently outlined by the Federal Office of Road Safety (FORS). on the basis of the analysis of the nature and extent of the young driver problem and the expected benefits of various countermeasures, a preferred option, is proposed: 1) licensing age - maintain at 16 years. 2) curfew - any driver aged 16 or 17 years shall be prohibited from driving at night (the hours of the curfew to be decided based on the results of an agency consultation and community attitude survey). 3) 'p' period - all existing conditions on a probationary licence shall apply for two years. 4) minimum age for obtaining a probationary licence - a probationary licence shall not be issued before age 17 years. It is suggested that the preferred option be implemented and reviewed in two years. It is also suggested that driver education and promotion materials such as those recently developed by the federal office of road safety be introduced as part of a package of measures both for their publicity value and also to test their effects. In order to assist the implementation of the preferred option, it is recommended that a community attitude study be undertaken involving an assessment of community response to the measures and other impacts.
Samenvatting