Evaluating the Safety Implications and Benefits of an In-Vehicle Data Recorder to Young Drivers

Abstract

Summary:Young drivers in Israel, as in other parts of the world, are involved in car crashes more than any other age group. Green Light for Life is a new program that seeks to improve the quality of the experience of young drivers during the mandatory accompanied driving period. As part of the efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of this program a novel experiment, which uses information gathered from an in-vehicle data recorder (IVDR) is conducted. The DriveDiagnostics IVDR system, which is used in this study, can identify over 20 different maneuver types in raw measurements and use this information to indicate overall trip safety. Drivers receive feedback through various summary reports, real-time text messages or an in-vehicle display unit. Preliminary validation tests with the system demonstrate promising potential. In the experiment, the DriveDiagnostics system is installed in the primary vehicle driven by the young driver in 120 families. The experiment is designed to test the impact on driving behavior of participation in the program and the type of feedback drivers receive from the system. The data collection part of the experiment is scheduled to run for 8 months for each family.

Analysis of in-vehicle driver behaviour data for improved safety

“…The question regarding what constitutes a 'good' or 'safe' driver, and how to evaluate their performance (Lotan and Toledo, 2005) has received relatively little attention.…”

“…The correlation of driving records and amount of safe driving established the effect of speed on the crash rates. Lotan and Toledo (2005) used an In-Vehicle Data Recorder (IVDR) to identify select driving manoeuvres and classify them as safe, unsafe, or dangerous. While no information was offered on how the driving manoeuvres were determined, the authors compared young drivers with their parents.…”