Citation

Isler RB, Starkey NJ, Williamson AR. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2009; 41(3): 445-452.

Affiliation

Traffic and Road Safety Research Group, University of Waikato, Psychology Department, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand. r.isler@waikato.ac.nz

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2008.12.016

PMID

19393791

Abstract

This study used a video-based hazard perception dual task to compare the hazard perception skills of young drivers with middle aged, more experienced drivers and to determine if these skills can be improved with video-based road commentary training. The primary task required the participants to detect and verbally identify immediate hazard on video-based traffic scenarios while concurrently performing a secondary tracking task, simulating the steering of real driving. The results showed that the young drivers perceived fewer immediate hazards (mean=75.2%, n=24, 19 females) than the more experienced drivers (mean=87.5%, n=8, all females), and had longer hazard perception times, but performed better in the secondary tracking task. After the road commentary training, the mean percentage of hazards detected and identified by the young drivers improved to the level of the experienced drivers and was significantly higher than that of an age and driving experience matched control group. The results will be discussed in the context of psychological theories of hazard perception and in relation to road commentary as an evidence-based training intervention that seems to improve many aspects of unsafe driving behaviour in young drivers.

Language: en