ACCIDENT LIABILITY OF NOVICE DRIVERS

Measures taken during driver training were used to predict subsequent driving test outcome and accident liability in the year following the test in a sample of 809 young learner drivers. Pupils' assessment of their skill, and instructor ratings of pupils' skill, responsiveness to instruction, confidence, safety, how good a driver pupils would be after the test, how careful pupils were in their decision making, and hours of practice predicted likelihood of passing the test. Pupils' general social deviance and specific attitude to driving deviance while learning to drive, and instructors' ratings of pupils' likelihood of an accident following the test predicted accident rates six months and 12 months after the test, controlling for mileage. There was no evidence that more confident drivers were at greater risk of accident. Accident rates controlling for mileage were substantially lower in the second six months following the test than in the first six months. The results indicate that high risk drivers can be identified during driver training. There is only a small degree of overlap between factors associated with accident risk and factors associated with likelihood of passing the driving test. (A)