Young drivers' overestimation of their own skill—an experiment on the relation between training strategy and skill

Abstract

Young drivers' accident involvement may be explained by a number of different factors, one of which is that they tend to overestimate their skill in driving a car. This study is based upon the assumption that the degree of overestimation is related to the type of training the driver has received. In an experiment, two different strategies for training have been compared with regard to their influence on estimated and actual driving skill, as well as the drivers' degree of overestimation of their own skill. One of the strategies, used in the "skill" group was to make the learner as skilled as possible in handling a braking and avoidance manoeuvre in a critical situation. The other strategy, used in the "insight" group was to make the driver aware of the fact that his own skill in braking and avoidance in critical situations may be limited and unpredictable. The experiment was carried out at the Bromma driving practice area in Stockholm. Low friction has been simulated by using "Skid Car" equipment. Fifty-three learner drivers were randomly divided into two groups. Each of the groups was taught on the basis of one of the strategies. The training session was 30 minutes long. One week later, the drivers returned to take part in a test of their estimated and actual skill. The "skill" group estimated their skill higher than the "insight" group. No difference was found between the groups regarding their actual skill. The results confirm the main hypothesis that the skill training strategy produces more false overestimation than the insight training strategy.

The Overconfidence Problem in Insurance Markets

“…23 Because all low-risk and overcon…dent agents join the program, 2 3 At the time they choose to join the training program, none of these agents believes that she will directly bene…t the fraction of overcon…dent individuals decreases, and this results in lower insurance prices. These …ndings are con…rmed by Gregersen (1996) in an experiment sponsored by the Swedish National Road Administration, on a driving course that simulates icy-road conditions. Further references are available upon request.…”

“…21 Because the incentive-constraint is not binding in equilibrium, we show that the introduction of compulsory insurance cannot Pareto improve upon the laissez-faire equilibrium. It makes low risk individuals worse o¤.…”

Post-license education for novice drivers: Evaluation of a training programme implemented in Spain

“…The track training session consisted of hands-on experience of two simulated driving scenarios: emergency braking with and without ABS on slippery and rough surfaces, for insight training rather than skills training (Gregersen, 1996); and driving with distracting and pressure factors induced. The on-road training session combined urban and rural roads on a pre-defined circuit in which each participant had to drive for 20 minutes as well as to monitor the driving of the other two trainees in the car.…”

Young Drivers Perceptual Learning Styles Preferences and Traffic Accidents

“…A driver's mental workload, visual search skills, and capacity for hazard perception are to a large extent connected with driving experience. These factors have been shown to be problematic for learners and novice drivers [6]. The more experienced a driver the easier it is for them to recognize and interpret different traffic situations, and on the basis of that develop "mental models" that can facilitate processing of the information and use of the available mental resources.…”

“…Education could be described as being based on three cornerstones − its goals, its content/process, and the tests -which should form one harmonized entity. However, such harmonization requires involvement of well educated professional driving instructors and driving examiners that together have the necessary knowledge, competence, and teaching skills to fulfil and cover all aspects of the driver training [6,25].…”