ABSTRACT
One of the most striking and consistent observations in the highway safety field is the rapid decrease in crash rates that occurs over the first several months of novices’ independent driving. This pattern exists whether driving begins at 16, 17, 18, or older (Chapman et al., 2014; Lewis-Evans, 2010; Masten & Foss, 2010; Twisk & Stacey, 2007). But what accounts for this rapid decrease is not well understood. A better understanding of why and how this decrease occurs may lead to ways to accelerate the rate at which drivers improve. In 2008, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Subcommittee on Young Drivers noted the lack of research addressing this topic, and the question of how driving competency develops was identified as one research priority among several (TRB, 2013).
