Citation

Adams C. Proc. Australas. Road Safety Res. Policing Educ. Conf. 2003; 7(2): 31-36.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, copyright holder varies, Publisher Monash University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Crash rates per 10,000 licensed drivers for first year drivers were compared with the rates for drivers with more than one year's driving experience. Between 1997 and 2000 there were 3589 passengers injured. Male and female passengers were injured equally as often. A passenger was 13 times more likely to be injured if the driver had been licensed for less than 12 months than with a driver licensed for more than 12 months. Drivers with less than 12 months driving experience were eight times more likely than drivers with a longer licensing period to be involved in a fatal passenger injury; six times more likely to be involved in a passenger hospitalisation than drivers licensed more than 12 months. The proportion of injured passengers in this study was similar to that seen in overseas studies before restrictions on carrying passengers were introduced for probationary drivers. The introduction of passenger restrictions in WA needs to be considered or other changes to licensing such as increasing the licensing age.