Are young drivers as careful as they deem? In vehicle data recorders and self reports evaluations

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explore the driving behavior of young drivers few years after licensure based on two different evaluation approaches, which are used in a complementary manner. The evaluation was done with respect to driving exposure and trip safety. Methods The evaluation is based on two data collection approaches, which were compiled for the same trips: The first, In Vehicle Data Recorders (IVDR), which were installed in the young drivers' vehicles for a study period of 8 months. The second, Self-Reports (SR), which were provided by the young drivers at random times throughout the study period. These data have been compared and used in a complementary manner in order to provide an understanding of participants' driving behavior. Results The results show high correlation of driving exposure which was self-reported and these obtained from IVDR. The results also indicate that young drivers clearly perceived themselves as being safer drivers than they are, according to IVDR findings. In addition variables available only in the SR e.g., the presence of passenger in the car were found to affect the trip risk level. Conclusions The analysis obtained should be considered as exemplifying the potential of what may be accomplished and understood using these evaluation approaches.

How many times do young drivers actually touch their smartphone screens while driving?

“…For example, while ∼10% of the participants reported that their total weekly driving time was <2 h, the monitoring data showed >50%; this trend was reversed while ∼20% of the participants reported that their total weekly driving time was >4 h, whereas the monitoring data showed <5%. These findings are in line with results from other studies comparing self-report data with naturalistic data which revealed over-estimation of exposure time compared to objective measures (see for example [23] and the references there).…”

“…These statistics regarding driving patterns and trip characteristics agree with figures reported from other naturalistic studies which dealt with young drivers in Israel [23,24]. Comparing these findings to the self-reported travel times yield that the young drivers significantly over estimated their driving exposure.…”

“…They might be aware of their intensive usage of smartphones while driving but are reluctant to admit it. It is known from the safety literature that young drivers tend to overestimate their own driving skills, and perceived themselves as safer drivers than they are, according to objective measures [23]. In addition, people are often unaware of the detrimental effects of doing many things at once on their performance and hence overconfidence in the ability to multitask is diminished self-awareness [29].…”

Young drivers' responses to anti-speeding advertisements: Comparison of self-report and objective measures of persuasive processing and outcomes

“…Similarly, Huebner et al (2006) found discrepancies between older drivers' self-reported distance travelled with data extracted from an in-vehicle "CarChip". A more recent study examining driving behaviour of young adults found similar discrepancies in self-reports and in-vehicle GPS data with the latter revealing drivers had engaged in more risky behaviours than their self-reports had suggested (Albert et al 2014). …”

“…Increasingly within the traffic psychology literature, studies are comparing on-road behavioural data obtained from GPS devices with self-reports of one's driving-related behaviour/s (e.g., Albert et al 2014;Blanchard et al 2010;Molnar et al 2013;Huebner et al 2006;Marshall et al 2007). Blanchard et al (2010), for example, reported that GPS devices provided a more reliable measure of the number of driving trips and stops compared with participants' self-reports.…”