ABSTRACT
The present research explored the development and evaluation of an innovative Hazard Perception (HP) training program - the Act and Anticipate Hazard Perception Training (AAHPT). The most important concept of the AAHPT is that young-inexperienced drivers respond to a vast array of actual hazardous situations during training so they can anticipate potential hazards during testing. Forty young-inexperienced drivers underwent one of three HP training modes (,Active', 'Instructional' or 'Hybrid') or a control group. Participants in the 'Active' mode observed 63 HP video-based traffic scenes and were asked to press a response button each time they detected a hazard. The 'Instructional' group underwent a theoretical tutorial that included written material and video-based examples concerning HP. The 'Hybrid' participants observed a concise theoretical component first, followed by a shortened active component (derived from the 'Instructional' and 'Active' modes respectively). The control participants were presented with a tutorial regarding generic road safety issues. Approximately one week later, participants performed a hazard perception test (HPT). During the HPT, participants observed 58 additional HP movies and pressed a
response button each time they detected a hazard. Twenty one experienced drivers also performed the HPT and served as a gold standard for comparison. In general, the 'Active' and the 'Hybrid' programs were more aware of potential hazards relative to the 'Instructional' and control groups. The advantages of each training methodology are discussed.
