The contribution of driver education and training to road safety

European Parliament9 May 2012

Graziella Jost, Programme Director,European Transport Safety Council (ETSC)

European Transport Safety Council

• Independent NGO promoting a science-based approach to road safety

• 45 members across EuropeBelgium Road Safety Institute The Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge

• Funded by our members, the EC and private sponsors• More than 200 experts contributing to ETSC’s Reviews,

Policy Papers, Positions.Aiming to identify and promote research-based measures

with high safety potentialAiming to provide impartial advice on transport safety

to policymakers across the EU

www.etsc.eu

Monitoring EU transport safety policy

PreventingDrink Driving

Road Safety Performance Index (PIN)

Ranking EU countries‘ performances

Preventing Speeding

Praising Best Practice in Road Safety ‘At’ Work and ‘To’ Work

Developing projects on priority areas

Promoting best practicesDeveloping recommendations

A priority-based safety work

PreventingCyclists’ deaths

Integrated approach

Vehicle safety Infrastructure

Behaviour

• Enforcement

• Driver education and driver training

Principle of free movement

Free movement of citizens with the EU

Common recognition of Driving licences issued by Member States

Common miminum requirements for practical and theoritical driving tests (EU Driving licence Directives)

Common requirements for test examinators

EU Policy Orientations

Improve education and training for users Increase enforcement of road rules Safer road infrastructure Safer vehicles Promote the use of modern technologies Improve emergency and post-injuries services Protect vulnerable road users

Seven strategic objectives

Objective 1 Education & Training

EC Proposals• Develop of common approach on educational and training

road safety strategy• Lifelong ‘educational continuum’ • Improved licence learning (Minimum requirement for

driving instructors, accompanied driving)• Driving Improve driving test (include risk awareness and

eco-driving)• Post Licence training (e.g. for ageing population)• …

ETSC additional recommendation

• Develop common minimum standards for driver education and training and an EU quality label for driving centers

• Graduated Licensing system for novice drivers (accompanied driving, probationary period with stricter rules and sanctions)

• Special demerit point systems for novice drivers

The Don’ts of education at school

The responsibilty should never shift to children. Responsibility always lies with the adults.

Sweden: little road safety education at school, lowest road mortality for age group 1 to 14.The environment is made safer for childrenSafe roads to school, 30km/h zones around schools and in residential areas

The Don’ts of education at school

• Education at school at around 14 should not be a pretext to encourage teenagers to ride a moped or a scooter

(training offered by moped producers: DANGEROUS!)

ETSC 3rd Road Safety PIN report 2009, Chapter Children safety

Driver initial training

• The primary goal of initial pre-test training should not be to help novices pass their driving tests.

• But should be to create drivers who are safe, and not just technically competent.

• How: by instilling novices with an appropriate cognitive skill level and safety-oriented motives

• This would reduce the male bias in many current instruction and examination techniques.

• Females take more lessons than males before the test and still find it more difficult to pass the practical tests whereas they are less involved in road collisions.

• Driving tests are currently unable to discriminate accurately between those drivers who will be safe and unsafe once they start solo driving. ETSC PIN Flash on young people, November 2011

Driver initial training

• Never focus on skills!

Research in Nordic countries have shown that drivers who had followed improvement courses on icy roads (skidding courses) were more involved in collisions

• Any training might encourage self overestimation: ‘I am a better driver’!

• Courses should focus on the higher levels of the GDE matrix: risk awareness

• Group discussions

The Don’ts: driver improvement courses

EU research

• EU research: not able to show a positive effect of driver training on road safety

• But proved adverse effects on road safety: self overestimation, more risky behaviour

EU research projects www.cieca.be• ADVANCED • NovEV: Improved training of trainers is key

issue to communicate this new philosophy. Trainers need coaching skills knowledge of young driver psychology and experience with group dynamics.

•  

• HERMES: develops training methods focusing on higher levels of the GDE matrix (personality factors, self-awareness, emotions,…).

• Helps driving instructors developing their ‘coaching’ skills, leading the learner into an active role and creating an equal relationship between instructor (coach) and learner.

  

EU research (cont’d)

ETSC recommendations

• Introduce an EU quality label for post-licence trainings to guaranty that the latest knowledge on driver training is applied

• And more in

ETSC PRAISE 2nd Thematic report Fit for Road Safety: From Risk Assessment to Training, Feb 2010,

(in the context of driving for work)

www.etsc.eu

graziella.jost@etsc.eu

www.cieca.be

www.etsc.eu/PIN-publications.php

http://www.etsc.eu/documents/praise/PRAISE_Handbook.pdf

http://www.swov.nl/rapport/Factsheets/UK/FS_Post-licensing_training.pdf

18EU legal framework

first European piece of legislation on driving licences made it possible for EU citizens moving to another Member State to exchange their driving licence without passing a new theory, practical and medical test. The driver however still had to exchange his licence within one year of taking up residence in a new Member State.

Council Directive 80/1263/EEC on the introduction of a Community driving licence

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• Directive 91/439/EEC on driving licences: The Second Directive lays down the mandatory principle of mutual recognition of licences issued by a Member State and defines normal residence as a prerequisite for obtaining a licence. This new piece of legislation abolishes the need to exchange one’s licence, introduces minimum ages as a prerequisite for the entitlement to drive vehicles, as well as a mandatory theory and practical driving examination.

• Subsequent amendments have been carried out by Council Directive 96/47/EC, introducing a Community plastic card model as an alternative to the paper licence model.

203rd Directive

• Anti-fraud measures:• Only plastic card• Optional microchop• Limited administrative validity• Further harmonisation of categories: mopeds (AM), motorcycles (A1, A2, A)• Progressive acces to categories (age, dimensions)• harmonised periodity medical checks for group 2• requirements for driving examiners (new Annex IV) • Limited administrative validity:

Motorcycle and car licences: every 10 yearsTruck and bus licences: every 5 years

• Medical checksFor both groups, only on the moment of the renewal, butGroup 1 : optional (choice of MS)Group 2 : mandatory at every renewal of the document

• Shorter validity periods due to medical situation should be possible

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