home / centre for automotive safety research / Publications / List / Details

Publication Details

Title	The relationship between vehicle performance and novice driver crash involvement
Authors	Palamara P, Langford J, Hutchinson TP, Anderson RWG
Year	2012
Type	Report
Abstract	The aims of this project were (i) to provide contemporary evidence of the relationship between vehicle performance factors and the risk of serious injury crash involvement among young novice drivers in Western Australia, and (ii) to review the current Australian vehicle restriction programs. Data for analysis were n=11,321 vehicles driven by those aged 17+ years involved in serious injury crashes during the period 2001-2008. High performance vehicles driven by those aged 17-19 years accounted for less than 1% of the serious injury crashes investigated, while 7.6% of serious injury crashes involving drivers aged 17-19 years involved a high performance vehicle. The findings of a number analyses provided some evidence, albeit definitive, to suggest that drivers aged 17-19 years have a higher relative rate of crash involvement when driving a high performance vehicle and that six and eight-cylinder vehicles and high performance four-cylinder vehicles have a higher representation in single vehicle crashes compared with two-vehicle crashes. Comparable vehicle restriction schemes for novice drivers currently operate in four Australian jurisdictions (Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia). A review of the schemes noted an absence of published empirical evidence to support their introduction and no evaluations to date to determine their impact on the novice driver problem. All jurisdictions expressed the view that the schemes were somewhat difficult to administer and enforce. On the basis of the above findings and others, a number of recommendations were provided to the Road Safety, including the rejection of a vehicle restriction scheme for Western Australian novice drivers.
Report Number	RR 12-001
Publisher	Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre
Publisher City	Bentley
Sponsor	Road Safety Council of Western Australia
Page Count	36+
Notes	Available online: http://www.ors.wa.gov.au/Documents/Novice-Drivers/ors-novice-drivers-report-vehicle-performance.aspx

Reference

Palamara P, Langford J, Hutchinson TP, Anderson RWG (2012). The relationship between vehicle performance and novice driver crash involvement (RR 12-001). Bentley: Curtin-Monash Accident Research Centre.