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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Heather Rothenberg, MSCE and Michael Knodler, PhD. Massachusetts Traffic Safety Research Program (MassSAFE), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 139 Marston Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, 413-577-4304, hrothenb@acad.umass.edu

PURPOSE: We examined young driver behavior in non-crash situations; addressing driving behavior in non-crash situations may reduce decision-making failures that ultimately result in crash injuries.

METHODS: 2.2 million Massachusetts violations issued from 2001-2003 were analyzed. Three young driver age groups were considered based on how interventions might be implemented, with one control group: 16-17 (high school), 18-20 (college/underage), 21-24 (young adult), and 25-39 (control). Chi-square tests and rate of violations per 100,000 licensed drivers were used to compare young drivers to the control group and males to females within each age group.

RESULTS: Chi-square tests showed statistically significant differences across age groups and between driver sex for 15 categories of violations with p<.001 for all categories. Rates of violations per 100,000 licensed drivers for young drivers were 2-5 times higher than rates for control group. Rates for males were 2-10 times higher than rates for females. Notable differences were found for alcohol, leaving crash scene, severe violations (reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter), insubordination, drugs, speeding, and illegal vehicle modifications.

CONCLUSIONS: Behavior in non-crash situations varies across the three young driver age groups; programming aimed at improving young driver safety should consider that. Some behaviors are already associated with young driver safety concerns but others that may have been previously unidentified should also be addressed. The use of non-traditional highway safety data can provide valuable information and fill crash data gaps.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify differences in non-crash driving behavior across three young driver age groups and between driver sex
• Describe the use of non-traditional data sets for examining highway safety

Keywords: Motor Vehicles, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation