tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/young-drivers-23008/articlesYoung drivers – The Conversation2022-06-08T03:19:36Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1817772022-06-08T03:19:36Z2022-06-08T03:19:36ZDo people drive differently in the rain? Here’s what the research says<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/463911/original/file-20220518-19-kcxdit.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C111%2C4153%2C2760&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Driving in the rain can be demanding. It gets harder to see, sudden stopping is difficult, and rain can cause a car to lose grip when braking. Rain after a dry spell can cause grease and oil build-up on roads to become slippery. </p>
<p>Add in everyday distractions such as screaming kids in the back seat and it’s no wonder crash risk <a href="https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/q1_roadimpact.htm">increases</a> in the rain.</p>
<p>During rainy conditions, most drivers tend to <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715/">decrease their speed</a>, drive cautiously and reduce overtaking. </p>
<p>However, some driver cohorts – including <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715/">male</a> drivers – may be at higher risk of a crash during rainy weather. </p>
<p>Here’s what the research evidence tells us.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464713/original/file-20220523-31005-cp04mb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Rainfall often reduces visibility, increases stopping distance, and can cause a road vehicle to lose grip when braking.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/speeding-is-more-common-among-people-regularly-exposed-to-content-encouraging-speeding-175066">Speeding is more common among people regularly exposed to content encouraging speeding</a>
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<h2>Underestimating risk puts you in danger</h2>
<p>In general, the <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715/">research</a> suggests most people drive more safely when it rains.</p>
<p>However, some underestimate the danger, which can increase risk.</p>
<p>Most studies on driving behaviour involve surveys, driving <a href="https://drivesafety.com/research-driving-simulators/ds-600-2/">simulations</a> or researchers monitoring drivers on roads for a certain period of time.</p>
<p>There is very limited research on the question of driver behaviour in the rain so sometimes a mixed picture emerges – depending on which study you are looking at or how it was conducted. </p>
<p>One <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715/">study</a> of drivers in Iran found middle-aged drivers had a higher probability of being less cautious in rainy weather than young drivers. It’s possible having more driving experience may lead middle-aged drivers to perceive rainy weather as low risk compared to young drivers. </p>
<p>The same paper (on which I am a coauthor) found female drivers tend to be substantially more cautious than male drivers; they are less likely to speed and less likely to commit traffic offences when it rains.</p>
<p>The research also noted that, when it comes to driving in the rain, married people are less likely than single people to drive fast or commit traffic offences. Women are <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715/">less likely</a> to express aggressive behaviours such as horn honking when driving in rainy weather. </p>
<p>But depending on which study you look at, you might get a different finding about younger drivers in the rain.</p>
<p>Another <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trc.2018.04.012">study</a>, this time in the US, found middle aged or older drivers (as compared to young drivers) were actually <em>more</em> likely to drive slower than the speed limit when it rained.</p>
<p>This study’s findings suggests young people are more likely to speed, which increases the likelihood and the severity of a crash. </p>
<p>Rain makes it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.09.022">hard to see</a>, and that increases crash risk. Some researchers <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/6000715">report</a> errors associated with the improper use of windshield wipers or demister during rain.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464714/original/file-20220523-19-1ok1mq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some people underestimate danger when driving in the rain and this can lead to more risky behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Designing measures to reduce risk</h2>
<p>Understanding driver behaviour in rainy conditions is important, so authorities can develop appropriate measures to reduce risk.</p>
<p>These could include a lower speed limit during rain or signage warning people to think about how rain may change their driving behaviour.</p>
<p>We also need education for all drivers – but particularly driver cohorts that may be at higher relative risk, such as young male drivers – so people understand the risks around driving in bad weather.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464715/original/file-20220523-11-b92qws.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Understanding driver behaviour in rainy conditions is important, so authorities can develop appropriate measures to reduce risk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Technology can help, too. Car manufacturers could promote driver support technology like <a href="https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/adaptive-cruise-control-explained-45905">adaptive cruise control</a>, which regulates the speed of a car to keep it a safe distance from the car in front.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, all drivers should stick to the basics when driving in rain.</p>
<p>Reduce your speed, turn on your headlights and maintain a three to five second gap between you and the car ahead. </p>
<p>Make sure you accelerate and brake gradually (instead of suddenly) and focus your full attention on driving.</p>
<hr>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/minimum-space-for-passing-cyclists-is-now-law-australia-wide-it-increases-safety-but-possibly-road-rage-too-159926">Minimum space for passing cyclists is now law Australia-wide. It increases safety – but possibly road rage too</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181777/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I would like to acknowledge the research collaboration, especially with Dr Kayvan Aghabayk, University of Tehran for this research. </span></em></p>In general, most people drive more safely when it rains. However, some underestimate the danger, which can increase risk.Nirajan Shiwakoti, Associate Professor, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1750662022-03-27T22:45:57Z2022-03-27T22:45:57ZSpeeding is more common among people regularly exposed to content encouraging speeding<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447426/original/file-20220220-22-1vv5nrp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C22%2C4970%2C3308&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Speeding is more common among people regularly exposed to material encouraging speeding, our new study suggests.</p>
<p>Our research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15389588.2022.2049259?src=">Traffic Injury Prevention</a>, found self-reported exposure to content promoting or encouraging speeding on social media and mass media (e.g., movies, television or gaming) was higher in speeders compared to non-speeders.</p>
<p>Speeders also believed their friends more frequently engaged in speeding.</p>
<p>Speeding is a major road safety problem that contributes to many injuries and fatalities in <a href="https://theconversation.com/speeding-drivers-keep-breaking-the-law-even-after-fines-and-crashes-new-research-161672">Australia</a>. </p>
<p>So it’s important to examine factors that may encourage speeding and contribute to making it socially acceptable. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/speeding-drivers-keep-breaking-the-law-even-after-fines-and-crashes-new-research-161672">Speeding drivers keep breaking the law even after fines and crashes: new research</a>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441202/original/file-20220118-15-5zjhyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Our survey revealed a trend between increasing exposure to speeding and self-reported speeding in the real world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>Self-reported exposure levels significantly higher in speeders</h2>
<p>For our study, a total of 628 Queensland motorists (263 men and 365 women aged between 17 and 88 years) completed an online anonymous survey. </p>
<p>The survey included questions about:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>their own speeding behaviour (specifically, how often they exceed the speed limit by more than 10km/h)</p></li>
<li><p>how often they believe they saw content on social media and mass media (such as TV, movies or gaming) encouraging or promoting speeding</p></li>
<li><p>how often they thought their friends exceeded the speed limit.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Overall, the study found:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>half of the sample admitted they exceeded the speed limit more than 10% of the time they drive</p></li>
<li><p>on average, participants believed they came across social media content encouraging speeding behaviour 29% of the time while using social media</p></li>
<li><p>on average, they believed they came across mass media content encouraging speeding behaviour 40% of the time</p></li>
<li><p>on average, they believed their friends exceeded the speed limit 39% of the time</p></li>
<li><p>self-reported exposure levels across all these sources (mass media, social media and friends) were significantly higher in speeders than non-speeders.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452661/original/file-20220317-8693-855oyn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We split the sample into quartiles, based on how often they reported exceeding the speed limit. This demonstrated increasing exposure corresponded with increasing frequency of speeding behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/caught-red-handed-automatic-cameras-will-spot-mobile-using-motorists-but-at-what-cost-125638">Caught red-handed: automatic cameras will spot mobile-using motorists, but at what cost?</a>
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<h2>Unpacking the link between what we see and how we act</h2>
<p>Our findings suggest many people believe they are regularly exposed to pro-speeding content online or via friends, and this might increase their risk of speeding in the real world. </p>
<p>The findings are consistent with studies showing social media, mass media and one’s peers can all <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.05.023">influence</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2010.07.011">subsequent</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294117697090">risk-taking</a> <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/5450/">behaviour</a>.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, further research is needed. We are yet to clarify whether increasing exposure to this kind of content directly increases the propensity to speed. Conversely, it could be that people who engage in speeding seek out pro-speeding material because they like it, or notice it more than others because they’re more attuned to it.</p>
<p>We also need to determine if people’s estimations of how often they’re exposed to such images are accurate. </p>
<p>For example, the respondents’ estimation of pro-speeding messages was extremely high, which raises questions about whether some individuals are more sensitive to online content that reinforces pre-existing attitudes or behaviour.</p>
<p>In other words, they might be more likely to notice, process and remember speeding messages, simply because they have favourable attitudes towards speeding or regularly engage in it.</p>
<p>There is clearly a need for future research to examine the impact of online messaging on our attitudes and behaviour. This could help determine how what we see on TV, hear from friends and consume on social media relates to real world driving behaviour.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441203/original/file-20220118-15-9dcndq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On average, participants believed they came across mass media content (such as via television or gaming) encouraging speeding behaviour 40% of the time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175066/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research was funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Freeman works at the University of the Sunshine Coast Road Safety Research Collaboration (USCRSRC) that receives funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Verity Truelove receives funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC). </span></em></p>Our findings suggest many people believe they are regularly exposed to pro-speeding content online or via friends, and this might increase their risk of speeding in the real world.Kayla Stefanidis, Research Fellow, University of the Sunshine CoastJames Freeman, Research Professor, University of the Sunshine CoastMichelle Nicolls, PhD Candidate, University of the Sunshine CoastVerity Truelove, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1748692022-01-26T19:03:08Z2022-01-26T19:03:08ZPolice location sites on Facebook are helping drivers avoid detection for drug driving<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441433/original/file-20220119-21-91pke9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C59%2C5000%2C3270&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The internet allows us to check the surf, the news, traffic on the road, what our friends have been up to – all before getting out of bed. While this has made several aspects of life easier, it can also come at a cost. </p>
<p>The last decade has seen a growing number of Facebook groups and pages dedicated to revealing the locations of police traffic operations. </p>
<p>These Facebook communities rely on users to alert the group or page when they drive past a random breath testing or roadside drug testing operation, as well as speed and mobile phone cameras. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925753521004410?dgcid=author">study</a>, published recently in the journal Safety Science, aimed to find out more about how these sites were being used by a sample of 890 people who take drugs.</p>
<p>We found 25% of them reported using police location groups or pages on Facebook; of these people, 43% reported using the sites to avoid roadside drug testing operations (while others used the pages for other purposes, like traffic updates and avoiding speed cameras).</p>
<p>Our results suggest police location groups and pages on Facebook are helping drivers avoid detection for drug driving – a traffic offence recognised as contributing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_australia_2020_statistical_summary.pdf">106 fatal injuries</a> in 2019 in Australia.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/speeding-drivers-keep-breaking-the-law-even-after-fines-and-crashes-new-research-161672">Speeding drivers keep breaking the law even after fines and crashes: new research</a>
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<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>With <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_australia_2020_statistical_summary.pdf">increases in drug-related traffic fatalities</a> across Australia in the last decade, we chose to focus our study on drug driving behaviours, and investigate how people use Facebook police location groups and pages to avoid roadside drug testing operations. </p>
<p>Our study involved 890 Queensland motorists who reported consuming either marijuana, MDMA and/or methamphetamines in the past 12 months. These are the three drugs tested for on roadside drug tests across all Australian states. </p>
<p>Participants were recruited through Facebook and completed an online survey.</p>
<p>We found:</p>
<ul>
<li>59% of the sample (521 participants) reported at least one instance of drug driving in the previous 12 months</li>
<li>25% of the sample (219 participants) reported using Facebook police location communities</li>
<li>of these 219 participants, almost two-thirds (142 participants) were drug drivers, however only 43% (94 participants) reported using the police location information to avoid roadside drug testing</li>
<li>other reasons for using these sites included for traffic updates, viewing locations of speed and mobile phone cameras and to avoid random breath testing sites.</li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3308%2C2194&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man in a car looks at his phone." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3308%2C2194&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440577/original/file-20220113-21-ga9qbo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While not all offenders use these sites, there is a small proportion of drug drivers who do use the sites to actively avoid being detected.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How drivers use police location sites is important</h2>
<p>How drivers use police location sites is more important than whether they use them or not. Some drivers use them to actively avoid roadside drug testing, while others use them for different reasons (such as for traffic updates or information on speed cameras).</p>
<p>We found those who use these police location Facebook sites aren’t engaging in drug driving any more than people who don’t use these sites at all. And both groups considered it unlikely they would be caught if they were to drug drive. </p>
<p>A difference was found, however, when we compared those who reported using police location communities to avoid roadside drug testing and those who used the sites for a different reason (such as traffic updates or speed camera location information).</p>
<p>Those who used the police location Facebook sites to avoid roadside drug testing: </p>
<ul>
<li>offended more in the past (75 drug driving events on average, compared to 31 drug driving events)</li>
<li>reported being more likely to offend again in the future </li>
<li>viewed the Facebook police location posts more frequently (“few times a week” vs “few times per month”) and</li>
<li>were more likely to believe the posts were accurate and reliable (a score of 6.57 out of 10 vs 5.20 out of 10). </li>
</ul>
<h2>What does this mean for road safety?</h2>
<p>This study provides the first steps in exploring the use of police location sites on Facebook in relation to drug driving. </p>
<p>While not all offenders use these sites, there is a small proportion of drug drivers who do use the sites to actively avoid being detected. </p>
<p>This suggests the use of police location sites is a problematic area that needs more research to see how to further prevent drug driving. </p>
<p>Overall, participants considered it “unlikely” they would be caught for drug driving, regardless of whether they used Facebook police location groups and pages or not. </p>
<p>This is a significant problem as a core component of deterrence theory requires that for the legal punishment to effectively deter people, they need to believe the chance of being caught to be high.</p>
<p>Regardless of police location pages, there remains a fundamental need to increase motorists’ perceptions of being caught for drug driving. </p>
<p>This may be achieved through increasing awareness of drug testing operations when they are occurring on the roadside.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437521001687">A recent study</a> by the same research team found even just driving past a roadside drug testing operation two or more times within a year increased perceptions of being caught for drug driving. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1410748396298596354"}"></div></p>
<p>Many motorists, however, are not aware that roadside drug testing often occurs alongside random breath testing.</p>
<p>Increasing roadside drug testing related signage during active operations may prove to be an important ingredient for enhancing the impact of roadside operations. </p>
<p>Taken together, while police location pages may prove to be a cause for concern, motorists’ already low estimations of being caught should not be overlooked. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-approach-to-cut-death-toll-of-young-people-in-road-accidents-25372">A new approach to cut death toll of young people in road accidents </a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174869/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Mills receives funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Freeman receives funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Verity Truelove receives funding from the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC). </span></em></p>Our results suggest police location groups and pages on Facebook are helping drivers avoid detection for drug driving - with potentially fatal consequences.Laura Mills, PhD Candidate, University of the Sunshine CoastJames Freeman, Research Professor, University of the Sunshine CoastVerity Truelove, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1693712021-11-03T19:06:49Z2021-11-03T19:06:49Z‘Just say no’ doesn’t work for teen sex and drug use, so why rely on it for young driver education?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428706/original/file-20211027-15-iq0893.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4979%2C3309&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Human behaviour is complex. And yet approaches to road safety education are commonly far too simple, especially for young drivers. They are not only inexperienced but also biologically wired to be among those <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-driver-crashes-the-myths-and-facts-49877">most at risk of crashing</a>.</p>
<p>It is time to explore a new, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214140521002930">more proactive approach to driver education</a>.</p>
<p>Currently, we focus on teaching young people about major crash risks. Then we tell them not to take those risks. Should we really be surprised this does little to reduce the problem?</p>
<p>Common risks for young drivers include speeding and driving while tired. They are also <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/road-transport-infrastructure/safety/publications/2018/community_att_17">more likely to be distracted</a> by mobile phones or an array of other secondary tasks that take their eyes – and minds – away from the road.</p>
<p>Young drivers are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/road-transport-infrastructure/safety/publications/2018/community_att_17">not alone in taking risks</a>. They see them on the road every day, often among their own family members and social circles, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-019-0297-3">normalises such behaviour</a>. However, coupled with their lack of experience, such risks are much <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0001-4575(02)00114-8">more likely to result in a crash</a> for the young driver.</p>
<p><strong>Transport accident hospitalisation rates are highest for young drivers</strong></p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bar chart showing rates of transport-related hospitalisation by age group and sex" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/428944/original/file-20211027-13-1cl60jw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Age-specific rates of transport-related hospitalisation (per 100,000) by age group and sex in 2017-18.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/injury/transport-injuries">Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare</a></span>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-lockdowns-1-142-australians-including-66-kids-died-on-our-roads-in-the-past-year-heres-what-we-need-to-do-170021">Despite lockdowns, 1,142 Australians, including 66 kids, died on our roads in the past year. Here's what we need to do</a>
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<p>Is it realistic to expect we can predict and plan ahead to never become fatigued while driving? How many of us refuse all phone use while driving? In today’s highly connected world, why do we expect this of young drivers? </p>
<p>Why then does youth road safety education often simply adopt a “just don’t do it” message?</p>
<h2>Some risks are inevitable</h2>
<p>In other fields of youth health, education has long moved on from such an approach. It has progressed to teaching young people strategies both to avoid taking risks and to reduce harm if the risk does occur. Some risks are even considered inevitable.</p>
<p>An example of such a shift in approach is the move from “just say no” to <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/da/67/da67fd5d-631d-438a-85e8-a446d90fd1e3/20170209_sexed_d04_1.pdf">safe sex education</a> around the 1970s. Some feared this would lead to young people having sex earlier. Not only were these concerns unfounded, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658">research</a> continues to show a link between sex education and lower rates of teenage pregnancies.</p>
<p>This approach is known as risk or harm reduction, or minimisation. It is <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/national-drug-strategy-2017-2026_1.pdf">well recognised</a> in relation to risky alcohol and other drug use. Think of needle exchange programs, safe injecting rooms and, more recently, pill testing. Initiatives like these <a href="https://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/Civil/Dalgarno/30Years_of_HarmMinimisation_FinalUNGASS.pdf">receive mixed support</a> but are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/adb.12414">shown to reduce</a> harm.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-doctors-are-backing-pill-testing-at-music-festivals-across-australia-109430">Here's why doctors are backing pill testing at music festivals across Australia</a>
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<p>Harm-reduction approaches are evident in many other road safety measures that allow for margins of error. These include demerit point systems for offences and vehicle technologies that activate only after a certain threshold is exceeded. These include speed alerts, seatbelt reminders, feedback to stay inside the lane and phone-blocking apps.</p>
<p>In fact, allowing for human-made risks is a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081026717106694?via%3Dihub">tenet of systems engineering</a>. If risk can’t be eliminated, then systems are re-engineered to at least transform or reduce the risk of harm to an acceptable level. </p>
<h2>How would harm reduction work for young drivers?</h2>
<p>Many experienced drivers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amar.2020.100121">compensate for risky driving conditions</a> by slowing down and leaving a greater gap to the traffic ahead – even if they don’t consciously realise this.</p>
<p>There is clear, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2010.05.012">physics-based evidence</a> these compensating behaviours reduce crash risk. The result is a wider view of the road environment so drivers can see any potential hazards early. They also have more time and space to react to any hazards.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Technology can help alert young drivers to when they need to reduce risk using strategies more experienced drivers automatically use.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A harm-reduction approach to driver education would still emphasise avoiding <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/carrsq/resources/fact-sheets/">key risks</a>. However, it would also <a href="http://www.racfoundation.org/assets/rac_foundation/content/downloadables/Addressing_Young_And_Novice_Driver_Safety_In_GB_Senserrick_And_Kinnear_November_2017.pdf">challenge young people</a> to reflect on their own “inevitable risks”. Will they never be tempted to speed when running late for work? Will they obey every road rule, even when they see others breaking them? Would any of their answers be different if certain friends or family members were their passengers?</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-as-simple-as-no-means-no-what-young-people-need-to-know-about-consent-155736">Not as simple as 'no means no': what young people need to know about consent</a>
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<p>If not able to eliminate the risk, young people would be challenged to identify strategies they would be willing and able to apply to reduce potential negative consequences of the risk. Slowing down and increasing following distances are key responses to many risks. </p>
<p>Other more tailored options include interacting with a phone only while stopped at traffic lights rather than when moving – albeit still teaching that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2014.10.008">this is not risk-free</a>.</p>
<h2>Time for a fresh approach</h2>
<p>Some might argue harm-reduction approaches to driver education are too risky. We know the casualties in young driver crashes are <a href="https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Transport-and-road-statistics/Road-safety-statistics.aspx">more often their passengers or other road users</a> rather than the young driver. However, we also know <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2014-041150">road risks cluster</a> with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101024">other youth risks</a> and harm reduction works to reduce negative outcomes from these other risks.</p>
<p>Current approaches <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/6cef34e2-2422-4f11-a9f3-06e336edac3f/aihw-injcat-204.pdf.aspx?inline=true">are not working</a>, or at least <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m4614">not well enough</a>. Young drivers remain persistently over-represented in road trauma statistics, despite decades of attention. Without any evidenced-based research on harm-reduction approaches to road safety, the potential benefits as well as risks remain unknown.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169371/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Teresa Senserrick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We know young drivers will put themselves in risky situations, which is why strategies to minimise harm also need to be part of their education.Teresa Senserrick, Professor, Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/692012016-12-12T18:59:55Z2016-12-12T18:59:55ZThere’s little to gain and much to lose from lowering the minimum driving age<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/147391/original/image-20161124-15359-10ensyy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Road fatalities could increase if young people start driving solo at 17.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/pic-280368509/stock-photo-nervous-father-teaching-teenage-son-to-drive.html?src=U66vXfEK_oSdpLhTnq8bRw-1-27">shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Victoria is currently the only Australian state where the <a href="http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/transport-and-regional/drivers-licence-application">earliest opportunity for unsupervised driving</a> is 18. The minimum age is 17 in all other states and territories, except the Northern Territory (16 years and six months).</p>
<p>This disparity prompted a <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/lrrcsc/article/2960">Victorian parliamentary inquiry</a> to investigate the possibility of lowering Victoria’s probationary driving age to 17. After hours of hearings and hundreds of submissions, the state government decided to extend the date the inquiry will report from November 2016 to March 2017. </p>
<p>The inquiry was prompted by concerns that the high licensing age is contributing to youth unemployment, especially in regional areas. But if a reduction in Victoria’s youth unemployment rate is what is wanted, lowering the state’s driving age to 17 is not the way to achieve it.</p>
<p>Michael Byrne (a recent graduate of Monash University) and I analysed data from the most recent <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/CO-56">Australian Census</a>, in 2011. <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/86._30.05.2016_-_Submission_Newnam-Monash_University.pdf">We found</a> there is no evidence to suggest the existing 18-year-old probationary driving age is linked to a high youth unemployment rate in Victoria. </p>
<h2>Unemployment rates across Australia</h2>
<p>According to census data, 82% of people used a car to travel to work in 2011. The argument is that setting the minimum driving age at 18 is putting Victorian 17-year-olds at a disadvantage compared to 18-year-olds who can potentially drive to job opportunities.</p>
<p>If this was the case, then in Victoria there should be a higher unemployment rate for 17-year-olds than 18-year olds. And 17 year-olds in Victoria (especially in regional areas) should have a higher unemployment rate than 17-year-olds elsewhere in Australia.</p>
<p>Not all 17-year-olds are looking for work; many are still in school. And perhaps not being able to drive is discouraging Victorians from seeking a job in the first place. 41% of 17-year-olds in Victoria are working or seeking work, similar to New South Wales (39%) and Northern Territory (41%).</p>
<p>The unemployment rate among teenagers who are trying to find work is dismally high, ranging from 11% to 18%. But the unemployment rate was actually <em>higher</em> for 18-year-olds in Victoria than 17-year-olds. And Victoria’s percentage of unemployed 17-year-olds (14%) was actually one of the lowest in Australia – lower than New South Wales (15%), the Northern Territory (17%), Queensland (16%), South Australia (14%) and Tasmania (18%).</p>
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<p>There are important differences between Victoria and the rest of Australia beyond the licensing age. Victoria is far less remote than other states, which means fewer teenagers are dependent on a car to get to work. So, we used the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/1270.0.55.005">classification of regions</a> as either urban, regional or rural to compare 17-year-old unemployment rates for different regions. </p>
<p>Even so, we found that Victorian 17-year-olds in regional areas had the equal <em>lowest</em> unemployment rates of any regional area (tying with Western Australian regional areas at 11%). In all other states and territories, 17-year-olds in regional areas had higher unemployment rates. </p>
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<p>Perhaps economic conditions in Victoria, especially regional areas, are more favourable than other states. We ran a regression model to predict the greatest cause of unemployment for 17-year-olds. Indeed we found the most significant predictor of 17-year-old unemployment was the overall unemployment rate. </p>
<p>In the end we found no evidence, at the macro level, that a higher driver licensing age in Victoria has resulted in higher unemployment rates for 17-year-olds. A teenager’s success in securing a job is dependent on a range of social and economic factors beyond when someone can first get a driving licence. </p>
<h2>Safety implications of a change</h2>
<p>These findings do not negate the very real experience of individuals in regional areas who are struggling to find a job. It does not mean that their struggles do not exist or that they do not matter.</p>
<p>But driver licensing policy is not just about individuals; its impacts are felt across all of society. So, we must weigh potential economic benefits against potential road safety consequences. </p>
<p>The safety implications of lowering the licensing age have been examined extensively by experts – including <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/91._01.06.2016_-_Submission__VicRoads.pdf">VicRoads</a>, <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/75._27.05.2016_-_Submission_Prof._Senserrick_UNSW.pdf">Transport and Road Safety Research</a> (NSW), the <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/88._30.05.2016_-_Submission__Australiasian_College_of_Road_Safety.pdf">Australasian College of Road Safety</a>, the <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/31._06.05.2016_-_Submission_NTC_Australia.pdf">National Transport Commission</a>, and the <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lrrcsc/Probationary_Age/Submissions/79._20.06.2016-_Amended_copy_TAC.pdf">Transport Accident Commission</a> (TAC). </p>
<p>Each of these submissions did not recommend changing the driving age, because of the significant increase in road trauma and death that would result.</p>
<p>The TAC <a href="http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lrrcsc/Probationary_Age/Submissions/79._20.06.2016-_Amended_copy_TAC.pdf">has found</a> that if the licensing age is reduced to 17, every year there will be an additional ten deaths, 235 serious injuries and 700 other injuries on our roads, as well as A$243 million in community costs. </p>
<p>This burden will fall disproportionately in rural areas, where someone is more than <a href="http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/publications/corporate/rural_and_remote_fs.pdf">four times</a> more likely to die on the road than in a city.</p>
<p>For a young person, the ability to drive a car brings with it increased mobility and a wider range of potential employment opportunities. Yet our work suggests that on the whole, there is little to gain and much to lose from reducing the driver licensing age in Victoria.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/69201/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexa Delbosc does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research reveals there is no evidence to suggest a higher driver licensing age in Victoria has caused higher unemployment rates for 17-year-olds.Alexa Delbosc, Lecturer in Transport, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/574302016-05-22T20:07:13Z2016-05-22T20:07:13ZDelay in getting driving licences opens door to more sustainable travel<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/119733/original/image-20160421-27001-1migjm6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">By the time people reach their mid-20s, they are just as likely to have a licence now as their counterparts were ten years ago.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Dave Hunt</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In early 2015, I wrote about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-young-australians-turning-their-back-on-the-car-35468">significant declines</a> in the proportion of young people with a driving licence. However, at the time, significant questions remained unanswered. Were young adults forgoing cars entirely? Or were they merely delaying a few years before they hopped behind the wheel?</p>
<p>Since that time I have <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11116-016-9685-7">analysed</a> youth licensing data in the state of Victoria, Australia, and in the US. These are two of the few jurisdictions that provide enough data to track cohorts of young people over time. </p>
<p>What we see when we look at individual cohorts over time is that by the time people reach their mid-20s they are just about as likely to have a licence now as their counterparts were ten years ago.</p>
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<h2>A delay to be encouraged</h2>
<p>A great deal of <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01441647.2013.801929">research</a> has been undertaken to understand why this delay is occurring. Many factors are at play, but one appears to be the <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-013-9496-z">strongest driver</a> of the trend: a delay in driver licensing is part of a broader delay in “adult” milestones among young adults.</p>
<p>A few decades ago, someone in their mid-20s would very likely be several years out of schooling, well into full-time work and had a good chance of being married, mortgaged and having started a family. Today it seems unthinkable for many young people to hit these milestones until their late 20s and into their 30s. Instead, they spend their 20s living with their parents, studying, and working part-time.</p>
<p>All of these delays mean young people are less likely to need a car, or have a steady income to pay for one, until later in life.</p>
<p>Some may react to these findings with a sense of passive fatalism. What is the point of catering to the transport needs of millennials if they are going to become just as car-dependent as previous generations as soon as they start a family and buy a house?</p>
<p>However, there are still many important reasons why transport planners and policymakers should encourage and support this delay in car dependence.</p>
<p>First, even if changes in millennial travel patterns are “only” a delay, this delay can have significant positive benefits for society. Every year that someone does not drive is another year with fewer emissions, less congestion and fewer road deaths – particularly as young drivers are <a href="http://www.youngdriverfactbase.com/key-statistics/">heavily over-represented</a> in road deaths and injuries.</p>
<p>Next, the longer that someone lives without a car the longer they have to build the skills and familiarity with alternative travel. These skills and attitudes may have follow-on impacts later in life. It may make millennials more open to using public transport or active modes for occasional trips, or to reconsidering their travel after major life events such as changing jobs, moving home or retiring.</p>
<p>Finally, getting a driving licence is only one part of travel and mobility. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X15300627">Other research</a> suggests that even among licence-holders young adults are driving less and using other modes more than previous generations. Young adults are also far more likely to take up emerging alternatives to private car ownership, such as car-sharing, bike-sharing and ride-sharing. </p>
<p>These trends suggest that even as millennials age, buy homes and start families, their definition of “car use” may be significantly different from that of a baby boomer household at the same life stage.</p>
<h2>Window of opportunity for policymakers</h2>
<p>The delay in driver licensing among young adults is a window of opportunity for transport planning and policy. Policymakers should do everything they can to encourage sustainable travel among young adults with an eye on supporting the transition into home ownership and parenthood. </p>
<p>Are governments providing public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure where young Australians are starting families? Are they providing affordable family housing in the accessible locations where many young adults want to live? </p>
<p>As long as the answer is “no”, an uphill battle will continue to be fought against the pressures of car-oriented transport and land use. </p>
<p>It is a far easier task to support and encourage sustainable travel habits than it is to persuade people to give up long-entrenched car dependency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/57430/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexa Delbosc receives funding from the Australian Research Council to conduct a Discovery Early Career Research Award on the changing mobility of Australian millennials. In the past she has received research funding from Public Transport Victoria and Metro Trains Melbourne. She is a member of The Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management.</span></em></p>There are many important reasons why transport planners and policymakers should encourage and support this delay in car dependence.Alexa Delbosc, Lecturer in Transport, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/498772015-11-30T23:45:42Z2015-11-30T23:45:42ZYoung driver crashes: the myths and facts<p>Many Australians will recognise young driver crashes as a serious problem. However, few might realise that crashes are the <a href="http://www.youngdriverfactbase.com/key-statistics/">leading cause</a> of death and acquired disability of young Australians, during the otherwise healthiest stage of life (<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/cars-suicide-killing-young-australians/story-e6frg6n6-1226337875778">rivalled</a> only by suicide in late adolescence).</p>
<p>Youth aged 17-25 comprise 13% of the Australian population, but 22% of the annual road toll. They are more likely to go to hospital due to a crash than any other age group. </p>
<p>While the statistics are confronting, the myths surrounding them are affronting. Having trained in developmental psychology, I was surprised to hear comments within the road safety community such as: they just think they’re invincible, there is nothing you can do about it, and their brains aren’t developed properly – following advances in brain imaging research.</p>
<h2>The ‘youth factor’ in crashes</h2>
<p>The truth is that newly licensed drivers of any age have the <a href="http://www.mylicence.sa.gov.au/parents-and-supervisors/reducing-crash-risk">highest risk</a> of crashing in the months following the (very safe) learner period. They are novices of a very complex skill and, as with any complex skill, they make mistakes. Factor in that most new drivers are young and it follows that young people <a href="https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/tac-campaigns/young-drivers">have more crashes</a>. </p>
<p>Why then is this not readily accepted? </p>
<p>A “youth factor” contributes to the high crash risk. The increased risk for young new drivers is higher than for older new drivers. However, it is questionable whether this is due to intentional or unintentional risks. </p>
<p>In all age groups a proportion of drivers intentionally break road rules; speeding is probably the most widely accepted example. Young drivers are no exception and are more likely to speed and break other such rules than other age groups. Yet this still relates only to a minority. </p>
<p>Developmental factors, however, apply to all youth and particularly contribute to unintentional risks. During childhood, changes in the brain start to occur that strengthen neural connections. They allow quicker and more efficient travel of nerve impulses, as cognitive abilities become more localised to certain brain areas. </p>
<p>It is <a href="http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/brain_development_teenagers.html">during middle adolescence</a> – when new licensed driving typically begins – that this process reaches the frontal lobe of the brain. This area is associated with <a href="http://biau.org/about-brain-injuries/cognitive-skills-of-the-brain/">functions</a> such as controlling impulses, overriding emotions and anticipating consequences – all extremely important for ensuring safe driving. This process continues into the early 20s.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep">Sleep needs</a> also increase at this time, to around nine hours. The <a href="http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/pdfs/melatonin.pdf">hormone</a> that helps bring on sleep is released later at night, around 11PM. With lifestyles typically demanding earlier bed times and rise times, these changes result in youth being prone to fatigue. This is reflected in their over-representation in <a href="http://www.tac.vic.gov.au/road-safety/statistics/summaries/fatigue-statistics">fatigue</a> and fall-asleep crashes. </p>
<p>Adolescence is also a time of important <a href="http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/social_and_emotional_development_teenagers.html/context/1101">social shifts</a>, including decreased dependence on parents and greater standing of peers. For reasons such as social outings and casual work, young people drive more at night than adults, which is a higher crash risk time for all drivers. Therefore youth are more likely to be in a crash simply by when they choose to drive.</p>
<p>Adolescent brains are therefore developing “properly” and in important ways, including changes that facilitate leaving home and moving into the adult workforce. Yes this results in intentional “pushing the limits” for some. However, for <em>all</em>, everyday factors such as hazards and distractions are not as easy to perceive and manage compared to older drivers. </p>
<p>What then can we do?</p>
<h2>Moving towards safer roads</h2>
<p>Calls for mandatory driver training are common. However, traditional programs fail to focus on these key factors. Often they target advanced vehicle handling skills in imminent crash scenarios, which, contrary to expectations, are shown to increase crashes. Such complex skills cannot be mastered in a day. Nor can they be applied effectively without practice, yet these skills might be needed months later.</p>
<p>Such approaches increase young drivers’ judgement of their skills beyond their actual ability. This results in more rather than less risk being accepted when driving.</p>
<p>Alternatively, licensing conditions for new drivers – including restrictions on night driving and peer passengers – serve to reduce exposure to high-risk conditions. Contrary to some beliefs, they do not punish all for the sake of the intentionally risky few, but rather address inexperience and developmental limitations. They have proven to be the single most successful initiative in reducing youth crash casualties.</p>
<p>With increased cries of “the nanny state” and a <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Personal_choice">current federal inquiry</a> into restrictions on “personal choices”, it is timely to increase general understanding of the young driver problem (rather than the problem young driver). Through this, we should support initiatives that protect youth during an important stage of development while they learn an also important but complex life skill.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49877/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Teresa Senserrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Previously she has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Austroads (Australian and New Zealand government road agencies), state and territory govenment bodies in Australia and the
National Science Foundation in the United States. </span></em></p>It is widely believed that youth recklessness is often the cause of young driver crashes, but is this simply a myth?Teresa Senserrick, Associate Professor, Transport and Road Safety Research, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.