The role of experience in learning to drive : a theoretical discussion and an investigation of the experiences of learner drivers over a two-year period.

This report presents a discussion of the theoretical basis for considering driving experience to be an important factor in the development of safe driving skills amongst novice drivers. It is concluded that the cognitive processes underlying the development of driving skills most likely place an upper limit on the potential for driver training to impact substantially on driver safety amongst novice drivers, and that these processes are primarily influenced by driving experience. Data resulting from a longitudinal study of 110 learner drivers are also presented. The analysis of these data suggests that learner drivers accrue relatively little driving experience and that they tend to obtain this experience in daytime, fair weather driving. The implications of these results are discussed. (A)