27774 people were seriously injured – beyond hope of full recovery.

 The number of deaths among car users was 1,432.

The number of car users seriously injured was 11,535.

This is a shocking indictment of the way the UK licences its drivers. 

We are not concerned about the overall figures.  Instead, I want to concentrate on the 17 – 25 year olds.  This is the driving test demographic.   This age group is involved in nearly a fifth of all car accidents.

We need to establish the figures for the target group.  Transport for London has done this for us.  They said that in 2008 17 – 25 year old drivers were involved in 18% of all crashes.  Simple maths and we arrive at the figures we need. 

4999 people were seriously injured – beyond hope of full recovery.

The number of deaths among car users was 258

 The number of car users seriously injured was 2076

The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for driving tests in the UK.  They say that those who pass their driving test have had, on average, about 45 hours of professional training combined with 22 hours of private practice. Learners who prepare this way, with a combination of plenty of professional training and plenty of practice, do better in the test.

Yet the problem remains.  17 – 25 year old newly qualified drivers are not properly prepared for life on the roads.  There are three main reasons for this.

In the UK, the driving test is a rite of passage.  It does fit Ninian Smarts description of a religious rite.  The driving test is seen as something to prepare for – An ordeal to be survived.  Learner drives are made test ready and not road ready.

The second factor at play is money.  Learning to drive is expensive.  Parents put driving schools and driving instructors under a lot of pressure to take pupils to test as quickly as possible.  Ask any instructor if they have heard this phrase from a parent.  “It only took me 10 lessons”

The next factor at play is the test regime itself.  It is inadequate for modern driving.  The theory test is neither use nor ornament.  Learner drivers can buy CDroms with the questions and answers supplied.  There is little incentive for them to learn the subject.  The driving test is only thirty minutes.  This is not enough time to test persons driving skills.

These factors combine to release young drivers onto the roads with out the depth of skills and knowledge they need to stay safe.

Research into Drivers Ed

The main academic research into drivers Ed’ focuses on one study in America.  It demonstrates that drivers’ has an effect on road safety.

This experiment took place in DeKalb county Atlanta.  The high school students were divided into two cohorts.  One received drivers and the other did not.

This study showed that a course of drivers Ed reduced the number of accidents in the first sixth months after test by 6%.  The reference for this is a 1994 report to congress by NHTSA. 

The effect disappeared after six months.   This puzzled many of the American researchers.  The answer is simple – the longer you have been driving the more road experience you have – the more experience the less likely you are to have accidents.  The accident rates even out after two years in this country.

The only conclusion that I can draw from the American studies is Drivers Ed pre-loads driving experience.  Drivers Ed is worth six months of driving experience.

European Research.

There is no research published in Europe on this topic. 

There is one study on styles of driver testing and training.   Stefan Siegrist, Ph. D. Of  the Swiss Council for Injury Prevention bfu  published it  at the Forum on Driver Education and Training,  NTSB, Washington, 28/29 October 2003. 

The UK and Holland have the lowest accident rates in Europe.  The difference between the Dutch and the British is structure.  The Dutch system is tightly structured.

The Dutch recently piloted a tightly structured driver raining course.  It involves a series of modules similar.   The Dutch course is called Driver Training Steps. 

In the Dutch province of Gelderland in 2001, a small-scale test with the DTS took place (Nägele & Vissers, 2001). For the 109 DTS learners, the pass rate on their first driving test was 83%. In the period immediately before the DTS was introduced, the pass rate for the regular learners at the same driving schools was 46%.

 In addition, the DTS learners had not needed more lessons than the group of regular learners with the 46% pass rate. From January 2002 to April 2003, a large scale follow-up study was done in Gelderland in which 557 DTS learners participated. In this study their pass rate was 75% compared to 53% for the regular driver training given by driving schools involved in this second DTS test.

Claims for Drivers Ed.

It is reasonable to expect that a tightly structured drivers’ course will reduce post-test accidents by 6%.  It could prevent 300 KSI accidents a year.

A higher pass rate.  This is supported by the Dutch experience and the experience of instructors in the UK who structure their training.  The effect will be an 8 to 10% increase in pass rates.

A UK Drivers Ed’ Programme will save lives.

Rule number one sates “Everybody else on the road is a complete and utter fool.  Treat them as such.  Stay well away and tell them what you are going to do”.   Staying away from foolish drivers is easy.  You need to develop the habit of good hazard awareness.  Try to see what the other driver is about to do well before they become a problem.

Even the best drivers are caught out occasionally.  They will have to react quickly to prevent an accident.  This article explains how to stop in an emergency.

Ask your driving instructor if you can practice the emergency stop.  You should practice it with in a driving school car.  Other drivers expect you to stop suddenly.  The driving instructor knows when it is safe to stop suddenly.

You should only use this technique to prevent injury to yourself or another road user. 

You are driving along a country road and a small bird flies out of a hedge six feet from you.  You would not carry out an emergency stop, it is not going to hurt you or damage the car.  If a sheep ran out six feet from you then you would need the emergency stop.  The impact will hurt you and the car. 

You are driving in town and a little Scottie dog runs into the road a few feet ahead.  You would not do the emergency stop.  It is not likely to hurt you or the car.  A German Shepherd Dog would need an emergency stop because that impact will hurt you and the car.

This does not mean that you should run over dogs or birds.  If you can stop in time then stop. 

What if a child runs out in front of you?  What if a car pulls out in front of you? 

You will need to practice the manoeuvre.  Only your driving instructor or driving examiner can insist on you doing this exercise.  We are trained to decide if it safe.  If you are practising with a relative, you both must decide if it is safe.

The Controlled Stop

The emergency stop is best described as the controlled stop.  You want to stop quickly and under control.

Do not check your mirrors.  There is no time.

Hold the steering wheel firmly.

Brake followed straight away by the clutch

Firm fast breaking to a halt

Secure the car and check no one is hurt. 

Move off as you normally would.

Skids

Skids are caused by driver error.  The driver was not driving to the road and traffic conditions.

If you are skidding, lift your feet off the pedals

If you are skidding in a straight line just keep the steering wheel straight.

If you are skidding to the right steer to the left until the car is straight.

If you are skidding to the left, steer to the right.

ABS

Most modern cars are equipped with ABS.  This is a system of sensors.  If the wheels are locking under hard braking, the sensors make the car take over braking.  The car will pump the breaks faster than any human can.

ABS allows you to steer in an emergency.  IT DOES NOT PREVENT SKIDDING.

If, when braking in an emergency, you feel a ‘thump thump’ under the pedals it is the ABS.  Just keep braking.