Young driver behaviour and safety
Young drivers are over-represented in road trauma statistics. Whilst this over-representation is likely due to many factors (e.g., inexperience, owning vehicles that are older and/or unsafe), illegal driving behaviours such as speeding and use of hand-held mobile phones whilst driving continue to play a role in the incidence of crashes for this group of drivers.
The overall aim of this PhD research program is to examine issues surrounding young drivers’ performance of illegal driving behaviours and to identify strategies that may assist in responding to these behaviours and to mitigate the crash risk for this group of road users. Possible methodologies within the PhD research program could include: a systematic review, the conduct of a survey and/or focus groups aimed at young drivers, and interviews with key stakeholders working in the young and novice driver area, to understand the barriers to young drivers using the roads safely. Exploration of other data sources that may relate to young drivers and could also be conducted.
This PhD research program would be supervised by Associate Professor Sjaan Koppel and Dr Hayley McDonald.
Learn more about our Behavioural Safety Science team.