Citation

de Winter JCF. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2013; 52: 71-79.

Affiliation

Department of BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.c.f.dewinter@tudelft.nl.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2012.12.018

PMID

23298709

Abstract

Novice drivers are overrepresented in crash statistics and there is a clear need for remedial measures. Driving simulators allow for controlled and objective measurement of behavior and might therefore be a useful tool for predicting whether someone will commit deviant driving behaviors on the roads. However, little is currently known about the relationship between driving-simulator behavior and on-road driving behavior in novice drivers. In this study, 321 drivers, who on average 3.4 years earlier had completed a pre-license driver-training program in a medium-fidelity simulator, responded to a questionnaire about their on-road driving. Zero-order correlations showed that violations and speed in the simulator were predictive of self-reported on-road violations. This relationship persisted after controlling for age, gender, mileage, and education level. Respondents with a higher number of violations, faster speed, and lower number of errors in the simulator reported completing fewer hours of on-road lessons before their first on-road driving test. The results add to the literature on the predictive validity of driving simulators, and can be used to identify at-risk drivers early in a driver-training program.

Language: en