Citation

Castro C, Padilla JL, Roca J, Benítez I, García-Fernández P, Estévez B, López-Ramón MF, Crundall D. Traffic Injury Prev. 2014; 15(8): 817-826.

Affiliation

Cimcyc. Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Faculty of Psychology , University of Granada , SPAIN.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15389588.2013.879125

PMID

24433083

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study is to develop and obtain validity evidence for a Hazard Perception test suitable for the Spanish driving population. To obtain validity evidence to support the use of the test, the effect of hazardous and quasi-hazardous situations on the participants' Hazard Prediction is analysed and the pattern of results of drivers of different driving experience: learner, novice and expert drivers and re-offender vs. non-offender drivers, is compared. Potentially hazardous situations are those that develop without involving any real hazard (i.e., the driver didn't actually have to decelerate or make any evasive manoeuvre to avoid a potential collision). The current study analysed multiple offender drivers attending compulsory re-education programmes as a result of reaching the maximum number of penalty points on their driving licence, due to repeated violations of traffic laws. METHOD: A new video-based hazard perception test was developed, using a total of 20 hazardous situation videos plus 8 quasi-hazardous situation videos. They were selected from 167 recordings of natural hazards in real Spanish driving settings. RESULTS: The test showed adequate psychometric properties and evidence of validity, distinguishing between different types of drivers. Psychometric results confirm a final version of the hazard perception test composed of 11 video clips of hazards and 6 video clips of quasi-hazards, for which an overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .77 was obtained. A lack of ability to detect quasi-hazards and distinguish them from hazardous situations was also found for learner, novice and re-offender drivers. Learner drivers obtained lower average scores than novice and experienced drivers with the hazardous situation videos; and learner drivers obtained lower average scores than experienced drivers with the quasi-hazardous situation videos, suggesting that the ability to correctly identify hazardous traffic situations may develop early by accumulating initial driving experience. However, the ability to correctly identify quasi-hazardous situations may develop later with the accumulation of further driving experience. Developing this ability is also difficult for re-offender drivers. CONCLUSION: The test has adequate psychometric properties and is useful in distinguishing between learner, novice and expert drivers. In addition, it is useful in that it analyses the performance of both safe and unsafe drivers (re-offenders who have already lost their driving licence).

Language: en