South Australia's Driver Intervention Program: Personality characteristics of participants and their subsequent crash and offence experience

The Driver Intervention Program (DIP) is a 90-minute interactive small-group workshop for disqualified L- or P-plate drivers aged 25 or younger, living in Adelaide and some rural centres. Those eligible for DIP are not some limited number of repeat or problem drivers: one offence of speeding is sufficient for licence disqualification. The present paper covers the following issues: 1. On the basis of other literature, how effective would the DIP be expected to be, and how cost effective? 2. In regards to attitudes and personality characteristics of participants, are these similar to or deviant from those of young people not disqualified from driving? 3. How do those who participated in DIP compare with those who should have done but did not (paying an expiation fee instead), in respect of subsequent crashes and offences? 4. Can DIP be improved? What else might be done about young driver attitudes and behaviours? Some minor suggestions for fine-tuning can be made. But if a big impact on young driver attitudes and behaviours is wanted, an expensive, intrusive, intervention with the whole population should be considered: some form of psychotherapy. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E216178.