OBJECTIVE: To examine the circumstances of passenger vehicle crashes for novice licenced drivers aged 17-25 years and to compare the crash circumstances of the most common crash types for novices to a sample of full-licence drivers aged 40-49 years.
METHOD: A retrospective analysis was conducted of passenger vehicle crashes involving novice and full-licenced drivers during 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2011 in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
RESULTS: There were 4113 injurious crashes of novice drivers. Almost half the novice driver crashes involved a single vehicle. Vehicle speed (33.2%), fatigue (15.6%) and alcohol (12.6%) were identified risk factors in novice driver crashes. Correspondence analysis for 4 common crash types for novice drivers revealed that the crash characteristics between novice and full-licenced drivers were similar.
CONCLUSIONS: Similarities exist between novice driver and full-licenced driver crash risk for common crash types. Preventive strategies aimed at crash risk reduction for novice drivers may also benefit all drivers.