60. At no point in the process of driving instruction are learner drivers advised, in any structured or systematic way, of the risks of driving and dangers of the road. There is currently no part of the training or testing regimes which addresses attitudes to driving and road safety. The high rate of novice driver casualties would suggest that this is an oversight with dangerous consequences.

61. In fact, evidence demonstrates that over-confidence, sensation seeking, and impulsive behaviour are factors in a substantial number of the collisions caused by novice drivers. A study commissioned by the Department for Transport found that "a large percentage" of novice driver collisions are the result of "failures of attitude" rather than skills deficits.[92] Many witnesses identified that attitudes towards driving and safety are crucial in determining driving behaviour and risk taking.[93]

62. The indication is that although novice drivers may have been taught to drive safely, they frequently over-estimate their abilities, and the desire to show off is a strong factor in persuading novice drivers to drive in dangerous and high risk ways. As RoSPA states:

"Young drivers, especially men, tend to be over confident [...] They consistently rate their own skills as above average. They commonly see "good driving"' as the ability to master the controls of the car at higher speeds […] They tend to over-estimate their ability to avoid the hazard and its consequences. It takes new drivers up to two seconds longer to react to hazardous situations than more experienced drivers."[94]

63. It has been identified that young drivers gain a strong sense of their identity from driving and see it in terms of personal empowerment. PACTS noted that in focus groups, 17-20 year olds responded positively to statements, that driving:

• is a way of projecting a particular image of myself
• gives me a feeling of pride in myself
• gives me the chance to express myself by driving the way I want to
• gives me a feeling of power
• gives me the feeling of being in control
• gives me a feeling of self-confidence
• gives me a sense of personal safety.[95]

Perhaps more alarming, but by no means unique, were the responses given by young drivers in a focus group in Cumbria: "Although I speed I do consider myself a good driver. I can overtake big lines of traffic where most people just wouldn't try." And: "I just like going fast—fast enough to push me back in my seat. The adrenalin is great—nothing like it."[96]

64. These feelings of control, confidence and power are reflected in the finding that nearly half of young drivers a year after passing the practical test nominated their driving as "a bit better" or "much better" than average, compared to all other drivers.[97] This belief is arrant nonsense, since their crash risk is far higher than other age groups.

65. The Police Federation suggests that poor attitudes to driving are more pronounced in male, rather than female, novice drivers, and in younger drivers, whom it described as being "blind to their own fallibility."[98] Professor Frank McKenna confirmed this pattern: "younger people are more impulsive and engage in more sensation seeking [...] Antisocial tendencies as indexed by standard forms of criminality peak about age 17 which, of course, is the age at which it is possible to obtain a licence."[99] Peer pressure is a significant factor for many novice drivers. Research has found that if young drivers have a young passenger—and especially if that passenger is male—they will drive at higher speeds.[100]

TACKLING OVER-CONFIDENCE

66. These behavioural and attitudinal aspects are not detected in the current practical or theory driving tests, and it would be extremely difficult to do so.[101] There is a need for some education and training provision to tackle the attitudinal problems and particularly over-confidence among novice drivers.

67. RoadSafe suggested that inflated self-confidence could be successfully redressed through a type of training called "frontal lobe intervention" which puts emphasis on improving participants' self assessment of their higher level driving skills.[102] It is designed to promote awareness of one's limitations in real driving situations as well as in discussion groups, ultimately leading to a decrease in risk-taking behaviour. RoadSafe suggested that driver training should be reformed to include the "executive" cognitive functions which control behaviour, such as emotion regulation, hazard anticipation, risk management and anticipating the consequences of one's actions. They told us "Brain imaging studies have shown that these frontal lobe executive functions are not fully developed until young people reach the age of 25 years, at the same time when age disappears as a risk factor for crashes."[103]

68. PACTS called for the driver training framework more closely to match this full range of competencies.[104] It pointed to experience in Sweden, where the learner driver regime now reflects a matrix of driving tasks and competencies. This is set out in Table 4 below. The matrix moves across mastery of the vehicle and traffic handling, to awareness of risk factors, and self assessment of driving skills and driving style. The aim of the Swedish system is to make learner drivers realise their own limitations and thus counteract overestimation of their ability and skill; it aims to emphasise the concept of risk perception and risk awareness. It is also designed to raise awareness of the influence of personal preconditions, social norms and motivational factors on driving behaviour and risk.[105]

Table 4: Matrix of driving competencies

	Knowledge and skill	Risk increasing aspects	Self assessment
Preconditions and ambitions for life	Relations, lifestyle, age, group etc, and driving behaviour	Sensation seeking Group norms Peer pressure	Introspective competence Own preconditions Impulse control
Transport and driving	Modal choice Choice of time Role of motives	Alcohol, fatigue Low friction Rush hours	Own motives influencing choices Self critical thinking
Driving in traffic	Traffic rules Co-operation Hazard perception	Disobeying rules Close following Low friction Vulnerable road users	Calibration of driving skill
Vehicle construction and control	Car functioning Protection systems Vehicle control Physical laws	No seatbelt Breakdown of vehicle systems Worn out tyres	Calibration of control skill

Source: Changes to the Licensing System in Sweden, Nils P. Gregersen, VTI, Sweden

Hazard perception training

69. Hazard perception training was also identified as a potential way to decrease risk taking behaviour.[106] It is well known that novice drivers have relatively poor hazard perception skills (normally taking 30% longer than experienced drivers).[107] Hazard perception training has been shown to improve hazard perception skills and to reduce the choice of speed.[108] However, the current hazard perception test introduced as part of the theory test in 2003, has severe limitations. We are concerned that four years after its introduction, the Department has yet to publish an evaluation of the impact of the hazard perception test on novice driver collision involvement rates.

70. The Motor Schools Association of Great Britain described its disappointment at how the hazard perception test had been introduced. It explained that the organisation had long campaigned for its introduction on the basis that it would encourage learners into classrooms to study for the test, and to discuss with their peers attitudes towards driving, speed, alcohol, risk-taking and so on.[109] Indeed the research undertaken for the Department in 1998, which underpinned the hazard perception test, found that only a combination of classroom and on-road training was effective in achieving a significant increase in the proportion of hazards detected early with "the correct action taken".[110]

71. In practice, it seems that the training element has not materialised. The Motor Schools Association of Great Britain told us that: "the word quickly spread amongst novice drivers that this test was little more than another computer game that, with a little practice, was relatively easy to pass". The organisation called for compulsory group training with peer discussion.[111] The Minister acknowledged the need for a group learning component in driver training. He said:

"Maybe one of the things that we need to introduce into this is some training which people will take with their peers, because I think one of the things which really does enforce the message in people's minds about their responsibilities and their need to follow certain social norms is actually thinking that their peers expect them to do that."[112]

72. A further method of raising awareness of risks is through "commentary driving". With this technique, the participants maintain a running commentary while driving or watching a video scenario, explaining to the driving instructor what they see, which risks may arise and what measures should be taken to avoid those hazards.[113] We heard that this technique had been effective in reducing risk-taking.[114]

73. Delivered properly, hazard perception training has been shown to have a tangible effect on attitude and subsequent driving choices. We suggest that the Department's proposed "knowledge framework", should incorporate higher level functions in order to target the over-confidence displayed by some novice drivers. Learner drivers should be required to demonstrate an understanding of the consequences of one's actions and awareness of one's limitations through self-assessment training. We recommend that some component of group-based learning should be a mandatory part of learning to drive. This should cover driving theory, risks, hazard perception, self-assessment and traffic law. The activity must be part of an approved and regulated system. We encourage the Department to research what would be effective.

74. The Department for Transport recently commissioned research to examine the causes of overconfidence in novice drivers. This research study concluded that for some novice drivers, overconfidence is a purposive act rather than a cognitive failure. This means that novice drivers are deliberately adopting an inflated belief in their own abilities in order to position themselves in a particular way in the "theatre of driving". For these drivers, overconfidence is a necessary part of building and maintaining the desired image of oneself. The report argues that as a result, these novice drivers are likely to be largely impervious to facts, evidence and argument; but their overconfidence could be challenged by ridicule and shame.[115] It states:

"Talking about risks will never shift the attitudes of those young drivers (mostly male) for whom overconfidence behind the wheel is a matter of personal identity. Our only alternative - other than waiting for them to grow up or kill themselves - is to make this identity an unattractive and untenable one."[116]

75. This finding makes the case for policy to take more seriously the fact that driving is a social activity as well as a physical activity. The Department's Road Safety Research Report No. 74 suggested that driver education and training should be set in a real-world context and should seek to address the actual beliefs, attitudes and behaviours of novice drivers. In its response to this report we invite the Department to set out how it plans to incorporate this approach.

93   Ev 10, 25, 40, 44, 58, 70, 85, 126, 138, 144, 151 and 155 Back

94   Ev 138 Back

95   Ev 144 Back

96   Ev 126 Back

97   Ev 144 Back

98   Ev 10 Back

99   Ev 70 Back

100   Ev 70, quoting McKenna, Waylen & Burkes, 1998  Back

101   Ev 6, 25, 35, 58 Back

102   Ev 72 Back

103   ibid Back

104   Ev 144 Back

105   Nils P. Gregersen, Changes to the licensing system in Sweden VTI, Sweden, http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/novicedrivers/conference/changestothelicensingsystemi4662 Back

106   In the context of driving, hazard detection refers to the ability to read the road and anticipate forthcoming events.  Back

107   Ev 70, 72 Back

108   Ev 70 Back

109   Ev 58 and Q212 Back

110   DETR (1998) The effects of hazard perception training on the development of the novice skills driver Road Safety Research Report No. 4 K L. Mills et al Back

111   Ev 58 and Q213 Back

112   Q367 Back

113   Ev 72 Back

114   Deery, H.A. (1999); Gregersen, 1993, quoted in Ev 72 Back

115   Department for Transport (2007) "The Good, the Bad and the Talented: Young Drivers' Perspectives on Good Driving and Learning to Drive" Road Safety Research Report No. 74. Department for Transport: London Back

116   ibid Back