1. Graduated Licensing

2. Developing Novice Driver Skills Highway Traffic Safety is a serious social & economical problem...

3. Component Malfunctions MAN VEHICLE HIGHWAY CONGESTION TRAFFIC CRASHES ECONOMIC COSTS Consequences of HTS Failures

4. Consequences of HTS Failures H CONGESTION Millions of hours (work-leisure) lost annually H CRASHES More than 11,500,000 reported annually H DRIVERS IN CRASHES Approximately 23,000,000 annually H FINANCIAL LOSS About $200,000,000,000 annually H INJURIES Over 3,000,000 annually H FATALITIES Approximately 44,000 annually

5. A Concept of the Driving Task Driving is not just a physical task; rather it is primarily a mental and social task. Driving an automobile consists of making skilled and properly timed actions, under varying road and traffic conditions, based on sound judgments and decisions: These decisions are, in turn, dependent upon previously acquired knowledge and the gathering of accurate information pertinent to the immediate traffic situation.

6. Driving Involves Problem Solving RISK AWARENESS EVALUATION OF RISK MANAGING RISK H Drivers are not apt to take action to reduce H risk if they are not aware of risk Response to risk consequence H Skilled and timely response H Best speed and position H Involves problem solving

7. “Now is the time to make changes in driver education content and delivery systems. We should not continue to let younger drivers die in car crashes simply because we have not scientifically proven what does and doesn’t work.”

8. Private Sector Experiences with Operator Learning Strategies Teachers know we need to change driver education Content and teaching strategies must be improved Delivery systems must emphasize longer learning period Driver education can not do in six weeks (or less in many programs) what is needed to accomplish a lifetime of training.

9. Private Sector Experiences with Operator Learning Strategies There must be an awareness of the serious nature of this national health problem. There must be a realization that today’s technology can produce real world teaching situations in the modern classroom. Outdated textbooks, story telling, graphic film of death on our highways are antiquated methods of influencing behavior Interactive video, computer-centered instruction, distant learning, and other technology can bring realistic teaching situations into all classrooms.

10. NHTSA Report to Congress Recommends the development of a cost-effective two- stage driver education program that is an integral part of a graduated licensing system. The first driver education stage would provide basic vehicle handling skills. The second stage would provide for other safe driving skills, including enhanced decision making to reduce risk taking of young drivers. The two-stage driver education program includes developing procedures that would extend the role of parents and other adults in the process of educating and training novice drivers.

11. What is Graduated Driver Licensing? Graduated Licensing is a system designed to ease beginning drivers into the traffic environment under controlled exposure to progressively more difficult driving experiences.

12. Why is Graduated Licensing a better system? This system helps improve their driving skills and helps learners acquire on-the-road experience under less risky conditions by progressing or graduating through driver licensing stages before unrestricted licensure.

13. Why do we need Graduated Licensing? Young people, age 15-20, continue to be overrepresented in motor vehicle crashes Inexperience: novice drivers lack the adequate skills needed to safely operate a vehicle. High risk-taking behavior: characteristics of young drivers include being immature and impulsive which results in poor driving judgement and participation in high-risk behaviors such as speeding and driving too fast for road conditions. High-risk exposure: novice drivers drive during nighttime with young passengers in the vehicle. Having passengers in the vehicle can cause distractions and peer pressure to participate in inappropriate behaviors.

14. What are the outcomes of Graduated Licensing? Reduces exposure to high risk and nighttime driving Motivates by requiring a crash and violation-free record before regular licensing Educates young drivers through a two-stage driver education program

15. Driver Education While a novice driver is devoting attention to keeping the vehicle on the road, it is very difficult for them to absorb safety information. Thus, safe driver education should be taught after the novice has learned the basic vehicle control systems. The requirements of a graduated licensing system allow the novice driver to gain basic vehicle skills under supervised conditions. By providing safety information after the basic control skills are learned, novice drivers may be more receptive to the information as they can better relate the information to driving situations they have experienced.

16. Driver Learning All concepts and skills required of a new driver should be taught during Segment One. This would be the basic information required for skill development. During Segment Two this information, along with the experiences acquired during practice between Segment One and Segment Two would allow for problem solving. Enhanced decision making of safe driving practices will be emphasized in Segment Two.

17. Example: Segment One - Night driving - they will be taught problems with reduced vision and encouraged to drive in light/moderate night driving situations.

18. Would deal with night driving in more complex situations: congested traffic; bad weather; other people in the car; how to handle mechanical problems; what to do when arriving at a crash scene. Segment 2

19. Example: Segment One - You must teach the laws relating to drinking and driving. Also cover the statistical problem associated with this major problem.

20. Segment Two Now we deal with appropriate decisions and safe driving practices concerning drinking and driving. We emphasize the loss of judgement and driving ability associated with impairment. Using problem solving they could make decisions about: who they ride with; what they do about a friend who is drinking; what clues they follow to avoid those on the highway who have been drinking (time of day-place-driving characteristic of other driver).

21. Example: Segment One- We must teach perceptual driving practices and introduce decision making skills. Students should be taught where to look and what to look for. They need to make basic decisions concerning lane placement, where to turn, gap selection in low moderate traffic; and how night driving affects their perceptual skills.

22. Now they can use experience gained from actual driving to improve and practice their decision making skills. Emphasis would be on high collision areas such as: running off the road, passing and intersections. This is where most crashes occur. Using problem solving techniques they will need to make choices as to the best course of action. In most cases there will be more than one right solution. If their solution is incorrect then they need to see what the consequences are. Segment 2