Young Driver Risk

It's long been evidenced that shock tactics do not work, yet there are still some organisations using these methods to try and prevent young driver fatalities by scaring them.  In some EU states victim association is used, with those who have killed someone on the roads meeting the family who are also victims of such an event.  Schools and colleges do invite DVD events where pictures, images and accidents are dramatised so as a company we carried out some research of our own into the effectiveness of such dramatic footage.

Taking four groups of ten students, aged between 16 and 19 from cross economic environments some from sixth form and the remainder college students. The group included some non-drivers, new drivers and those with more than twelve months experience for the results to be as broad as possible.

Those who had seen footage of accidents but never been involved in one surmised the films were enhanced to produce maximum effect and that a real time accident would not be so dramatic.  Those who were new drivers agreed with this, with only one saying they believed that an accident could be so.  The drivers with more than a years experience believed that driver error, notably amongst other drivers not themselves, could result in life changing or fatal injury and that a low impact shunt could produce an effect similar to that of the film.

One learner driver had witnessed an accident while on a driving lesson between two drivers on an opposite carriageway, the impact was far more severe than she could picture and commented that the footage shown does not convey the reality.  She now found her driving had become more cautious and her awareness raised.  So real time, as expected was much more effective.

Talks in colleges from accident victims within peer groups had very mixed responses, with one asking if the victim who had been in a coma was being paid for his talk.  This indicated to the data collectors that personality also played a part, with some of the other group members being shocked by such a statement.

The research pointed to the fact that consequence was relevant to attitude and that money spent on ideas that were deemed worthy may need to be rethought.  Campaigns will always hit a minority audience, and it's better than none at all, but current trials and research are not