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Despite the fact that a minimum number of practice hours for novice teenage drivers has been widely adopted in the United States as part of Graduated Drivers Licensing, surprisingly little is known about the amount or complexity of driving during the learner stage. In previous research, the authors examined the amount and nature of parent instruction during the learner permit period. They found that most driving instruction occurred in reaction to specific driving situations such as navigating and identifying hazards, which could be characterized as co-driving.The authors also examined factors related to how long learners remained on their permit and found that the number of months teens held their permit was not significantly associated with the amount of practice driving (hours or miles) they accumulated. The purpose of this research was to build on these studies by describing the amount and complexity of practice driving occurring during the learner permit stage, and examine how these vary according to individual and household level characteristics. The authors found that increased practice was associated with parenting practices, such as parent trust, as well as household income and pre-permit driving experience. Taken collectively, the findings suggest the amount of practice driving is likely to be a function of the motivation or interest of the teen to drive, combined with the quality of the relationship between parents and teens and the household environment within which these characteristics are occurring. Surprisingly, in this study teens from households with lower incomes gained more practice hours and days. These findings build on a body of literature that indicate parents and the family context are important sources of influence in the process of learning to drive.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB00 Section - Safety.

18-05476

English

11p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Appendices; References; Tables

Driver education; Driver licensing; Parents; Permits; Young adults

Education and Training; Highways; Safety and Human Factors

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-05476

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 11:23AM