Differences between provisionally licensed drivers who always display P plates and those who do not Dr Lyndel Bates, Professor Barry Watson, Dr Mark King ANZSOC 1-3 October 2013

Background GDL reduces crash risk for novice drivers (Ehsani et al, 2013) Further benefits of GDL are likely to result from: –Increased compliance with the system –Enhancing the ability of police to enforce (Curry et al, 2013)

Background Internationally, identifying a provisional driver requires a traffic stop and license inspection (Goodwin & Foss, 2004) Australia is one of the few places that requires provisional drivers to display P plates

P Plates P Plates designed to: –Facilitate enforcement efforts –Improve compliance with GDL restrictions –Reduce risky driving and crashes (Haworth & Senserrick, 2005) Unlikely to display voluntarily (Bates, 2012) New Jersey implemented a decal law in 2010 (Curry et al, 2013) Limited evaluation and no Australian evaluation (Curry et al, 2013; Williams et al, 2012)

NSW GDL system New South Wales Pre-July 2007 Learner Theory Test Minimum age 16 years Hold for a minimum of 6 months Zero alcohol limit (if < 25 years) Must be supervised Must display L plates Must record 50 hours of supervised practice in log book Restricted to speeds 80km/hr or below Unable to tow Practical Driving Assessment 5

New South Wales Pre-July 2007 Practical Driving Assessment Provisional Licence P1 Minimum age 17 years Must be held minimum 1 year (valid for 18 months) Can incur 3 demerit points Zero alcohol limit (< 25 years) Limited to driving an automatic vehicle if tested in an automatic vehicle Must display plates (red) Restricted to speeds 90km/hr or below Able to tow a maximum of 250kg Hazard Perception Test 6

New South Wales Pre-July 2007 Hazard Perception Test Provisional Licence P2 Must be held 2 years (valid for 3 years) Zero alcohol limit (< 25 years) Restricted to speeds 100km/hr or below Must display plates (green) Driver Qualification Test 7

Method Recruited outside driver licensing centres in NSW Telephone interview after approximately 20 months driving experience Completed between April and October 2008

Participants 96 participants –Male: 45 (46.9%) –Female: 51 (53.1%) Age: –M = –sd = 3.31 –Median = 19 –Mode = 19

Type of provisional licence

Access to a car

Display of P plates

Tow large items

Obey vehicle power restriction

If lost licence, would not drive with passenger

Drive after a couple of drinks

Obey provisional speed limit

Break the road rules if you know you won’t get caught

Crashes and offences

Conclusions Provisional drivers that display P plates are more likely to: –Obey the provisional speed limit –Obey the road rules – even when they know they won’t get caught Possible that there are other differences –Small numbers is a limitation

Further research How do provisional drivers perceive police enforcement? Are parents enforcing GDL provisions? How do police perceive their role in the enforcement of provisional drivers? What role do P plates play in facilitating enforcement by police? What are the motivations for not wearing P plates?

References Bates, L. (2012). The Experiences of Learner Drivers, Provisional Drivers and Supervisors with Graduated Driver Licensing in Two Australian Jurisdictions. (PhD), University of Technology, Brisbane. Curry, A., Pfeiffer, M., Localio, R., & Durbin, D. (2013). Graduated Driver Licensing Decal Law : Effect on Young Probationary Drivers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44(1), 1-7. Ehsani, J. P., Bingham, C. R., & Shope, J. T. (2013). Graduated Driver Licensing for new drivers: Effects of three states' policies on crash rates among teenagers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 45(1), Goodwin, A. H., & Foss R. D. (2004). Graduated driver licensing restrictions: Awareness, compliance, and enforcement in North Carolina. Journal of Safety Research, 35(4), 367–374. Haworth, N., & Senserrick, T. M. (2005). Review of literature regarding national and international young driver training, licensing and regulatory systems. Melbourne: Monash University Accident Research Centre. Williams, A., Tefft, B., & Grabowski, D. C. (2012). Graduated driver licensing research, 2010-present. Journal of Safety Research, 43,

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