News
Modifying driver behaviour the key to reducing crash risk
Posted on Tuesday, 1 September 2009 | Permalink
When there is an increase in fatalities, the solutions are often to increase enforcement and penalties targeted at a small section of the community, which doesn’t address the law abiding motorists’ inability to understand and correct their own driving behaviour, according to Driver Safety Services, the Tasmanian road transport industry’s own driver training organisation.
CEO of Driver Safety Services, Doug Ling said “95% of crashes are caused by driver error and making the wrong choices with drivers not reflecting on the risks they continually take.”
“Traditional driver skills training and car control courses do little to make drivers safer particularly young drivers. Research shows that car control courses create a false sense of overconfidence particularly in young drivers. However, training of drivers to develop reflective techniques to enable a driver to continually assess their own performance as a safe driver and learning to manage the risks they are exposed to has a lasting benefit.”Mr Ling said.
This approach is integral in the behavioural change model utilised in the Crash free driver education courses that Driver Safety Services(DSS) provides to major Tasmanian and national businesses and organisations, such as Aurora and Forestry Tasmania, also through a young driver program and to the general public.
The crash free program is different from other ‘advanced’ or ‘defensive’ driving programs as it is based on attitudes, knowledge and behaviour, instead of physical car handling and car control. The course provides participants with a greater understanding of potentially dangerous situations, helps in changing their attitudes, raises their awareness and helps them modify their driving behaviour.
The Crash Free Driving Program empowers people to effectively manage driving risks, can reduce chances of crashing to almost zero and helps drivers learn to change their own behaviour.
The Crash free driving course involves six hours of classroom learning, followed by a 10-day self-coaching period with a self coaching manual. Following the self coaching period, there is a two-hour review and assessment session. Information on Crash free courses is available by contacting Driver Safety Services on 1800 834 436.
Driver Safety Services further developed the behavioural change education model for the development of the national keys2drive young driver program recently launch in Tasmania. Keys2drive is an initiative of the Australian Automobile Association, funded by the Federal Government aimed to reduce the high crash risk of young drivers particularly in the first 6 months of P’s. Keys2drive involves a free lesson for a learner and supervising driver, supported by a comprehensive educational website. www.keys2drive.com.au