Browsing by Subject "nuoret kuljettajat"

The majority of young people pass their driving test on the first attempt. Despite the high pass rates, 18–24-year-olds are over-represented in fatal crashes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Finnish driving test with respect to young driver crashes: Do the tests cover the topics in which young drivers have difficulties and are the test criteria relevant to those problems? At first, young driver crashes in Finland are analyzed more generally. The study included all 18–24-year old drivers' fatal crashes (n=232) investigated by the Accident Investigation Teams in Finland between 2008 and 2012. Driving test evaluation was based on the questions asked in the theory test and on the guidelines for the practical driving test. Both the questions and the guidelines were valid at the time of the research. Crash data analysis and the evaluation of the driving test were conducted by utilizing a four-level hierarchical model of driving behavior. The model conceptualizes driving as multitasking and a multilevel process during which different kinds of factors and operations models interact. The four levels from top to bottom are: 4) "Goals for life and skills for living", 3) "Goals and context of driving", 2) "Mastery of traffic situations" and 1) "Vehicle maneuvering". The results showed that most of the troubles faced by culpable young drivers belonged to the two highest levels. Young drivers had adequate vehicle maneuvering skills but they had difficulties on the strategical levels. Those difficulties often associated with risky driving behavior. Troubles with managing traffic situations and vehicle maneuvering were identified less frequently and they were mainly errors in perception. Among the young drivers not guilty in crashes errors in perception were almost the only identified problems with driving. The driving test mostly assesses students' knowledge of traffic rules and their ability to apply them in practice as well as their skills of vehicle handling. Topics and skills belonging to the two highest hierarchy levels are practically not measured at all. In the future the theory test should be developed by increasing the number of questions and the level of difficulty as well as adding questions related to the topics of the uppermost hierarchy levels. As for the actual driving test, it should be lengthened. Driving simulators could also be utilized.