P-plate drivers are three times more likely to be involved in casualty crashes than more experienced drivers.
By Kath Gannaway
P-PLATE drivers in Yarra Ranges have the opportunity to be part of a trial for a world-first research project focusing on changing young driver behaviour.
The P Drivers Project has brought together experts in adolescent health, behaviour change and young driver safety to develop a new type of program to improve road safety.
It is designed to address the key risk behaviours that lead to the most prevalent crash types for newly licensed drivers.
The research trial – MyLiveTribe – will involve 28,000 young drivers from Victoria and NSW who are newly licensed drivers from 17 to 22.
The participation in each state will be Victoria, 13,200 in a program group and 13,200 in a survey group while in New South Wales 1600 will be in a program group.
VicRoads Director of Road User Safety and project spokesman James Holgate said 2262 had already signed up and encouraged all young P-plate drivers to log on to www.mylivetribe.com.au and to encourage their friends to do the same.
“You never know they might just save the life of a mate,” he said.
Mr Holgate said research shows that the first 12 months of solo driving is the most dangerous time for a P-plate driver.
“Young P-plate drivers will undertake the program from about 60 to 120 days after licensing, when they are most at risk, but have some solo driving experience to bring to the program,” he said.
Young drivers will be invited directly to participate in the trial but can also take the initiative and go on-line to sign up.
Information on the project will also be available in licensing offices and project partner outlets.
How will the project work?
The trial will test how effective this new behaviour change program is at reducing crashes involving P-plate drivers and improving safe driving behaviour.
A control group will provide a comparison to determine if the program has any effect.
The program group will undertake the behaviour-change program over four to six weeks and in Victoria the project will monitor their driving experience over 15 months.
The survey group will do exactly the same monitoring component, but not the program.
The behaviour-change program will be delivered in modules including an on-line driver self-assessment survey, group discussions and on-road coaching sessions with the curriculum focusing on the four key driving behaviours that lead to crashes for young drivers – following distance, speed management, gap selection and hazard recognition and response.
Participants will practice new driving behaviours and, with the help of trained facilitators, develop a personal plan incorporating strategies to address these behaviours that will be practiced following the program.
Rewards such as movie tickets and bowling passes will be offered to keep MyLiveTribe members engaged during the 15-month participation.
Yarra Ranges is included in the Victorian trial locations with one of the sessions to be held in Lilydale.
Victorian partners in MyLiveTribe are VicRoads, TAC and the RACV.
