Harrison argued that driver education was unlikely to have anything other than trivial positive effects on safety, and may instead have significant negative effects. An understanding of skill development drawn from the broader psychological literature concerned with information processing resulted in a conclusion that driver education and training (as distinct from practice or experience) is unlikely to improve safety. This paper extends Harrison's original arguments by considering further applications of a psychological understanding of skill acquisition and behaviour. It particularly draws on evolutionary psychology to understand the role of automated processes and their role in driving, and considers the role of simple neural and psychological mechanisms in detecting hazards while driving. It is concluded that there is very little potential for driver education and training to influence driver safety in the long term. The paper will make recommendations for more-effective approaches to improving safety, based on the application of psychological principles. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E208180.
Samenvatting