Interim Road Safety Evaluation of Victoria’s Graduated Licensing System

1. Interim Road Safety Evaluation of Victoria’s Graduated Licensing System Antonietta Cavallo - Manager Road User Behaviour

2. Young driver safety principles behind Victoria’s GLS • Why are they over-involved? • Principles for reducing the gap • Graduated Licensing System & support measures • Interim Evaluation Benefits

3. Young driver crashes Young drivers have more casualty crashes than any other group of drivers

4. Young driver crashes Probationary drivers are involved in casualty crashes at triple the rate of experienced drivers

5. Summary - key issues • Inexperience – key factor • Age – an additional factor • Specific lifestyle and driving activities adding further to risk: • Late night driving • Driving with multiple passengers • Distraction – mobile phones • Traffic offences – especially speeding • Drink Driving – especially 21-25 year olds • Older less crashworthy cars • Parents • Role models • Supervisors for extended learning • Compliance with safety/licensing restrictions

6. Young driver safety issues – two specific driving activities adding further to risk • Late night driving 33% of fatal crashes only 9% of P driving • Multiple passengers 26% of fatal crashes only 9% of P driving Combined = Half of fatal crashes for 1st year drivers Note – driving late at night and/or with passengers make up a smaller but still significant proportion of novice driver casualty crash involvements - 16% occurring late at night and 14% occurring with multiple passengers

7. Multiple passengers - all hours Risk of involvement in fatal crashes for P drivers

8. Late night - casualty crash riskP and Full licensed drivers per distance driven

9. Late night casualty crashes for P drivers Distribution over the first 3 years after licensing

10. Strategic young driver safety plan:

11. Graduated Licensing Principles • Need a driving system: - that doesn’t throw new drivers in the deep end- tailored to young drivers level of maturity and driving experience • Progressively introduced to driving as the new driver’s experience and maturity increase: • Better prepared for solo driving through extended learning • Better testing to ensure they can drive safely in everyday traffic • Highly restricted P solo driving for first 12 months – keeping out of high risk situations while building experience • Motivate P drivers to drive within speed and alcohol limits, wear seat belts, not use mobile phones, follow P restrictions, etc • Licensing from 18 years of age

12. Key Changes

13. New Graduated Licensing

14. Measures for Learners • Learners to complete (under 21): • 12 months minimum Learner period (previously 6 months) • complete a minimum of 120 hours of supervised on-road driving, with 10 hours at night • Support measures – learners, parents, supervisors, instructors (Keys Please in schools, Learner and supervisor guide/logbook, Lessons from the Road on-line, licensing handbooks, etc) • L2P program to help disadvantaged learners gain supervised practice • Hardship exemptions – restricted licence • New licence test • Current zero blood alcohol and other restrictions continue to apply

15. Support Measures for Learners

16. Measures for P1 Licence • No peer passengers • No mobile telephone use of any kind • No towing • P1 materials & communications regarding the dangers of night time driving and multiple passengers & personal safety strategies • Probationary drivers guide – managing risk - to all P drivers upon licensing • First car list • P Drivers Project trial – group discussion/coaching

17. Measures for P1 and P2 • A zero blood alcohol limit to apply for the first four years of driving • A revised high-powered vehicle restriction • Must have a good driving record to graduate from P1 to P2, and P2 to full licence • Existing restrictions will continue to apply eg. lower demerit point threshold

18. Interim Results of GLS to date • Evaluation design - overseas and Victorian experts in road safety evaluation and young drivers • Surveys of L and P drivers before and after GLS changes - Cross-sections and cohort surveys - Warren Harrison Eastern Professional Services • Injury crash data before and after GLS changes - Police reported injury crashes linked to TAC injury data - exclude first year post-GLS to minimise artificial effects - control group to partial out effect of other influences on crashes - John Catchpole ARRB Group • Review and report - David Healy Road Safety Consulting • Link to Report http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/gls

19. Interim Results of GLS to date Shift in L and P behaviour Learners: • Supervised driving practice for 17 and 18 year olds (at the time of Learner acquisition) increased significantly • corresponding trend for 16 year olds (at the time of Learner acquisition) relatively stable at high levels - over 120 hours Probationary: • Post-GLS drivers reported fewer traffic offences involving speeding, hand-held phone use and P plate use than pre-GLS drivers • Post-GLS drivers were much less likely to carry more than one peer-aged passenger

20. Interim Results of GLS to date Interim evaluation for newly licensed first year drivers : 23% fewer first year drivers in casualty crashes p.a. 31% fewer first year drivers in serious/fatal crashes p.a. 58% reduction P1 peer passenger crash involvements 7 fewer fatalities 100 fewer serious injuries 268 fewer people with “other” injuries Savings equate to over $40 million p.a.

21. Casualty Crash involvement - annualisedFirst year P drivers aged 18-20 yrs at licensing

22. Serious casualty crash involvements -annualisedFirst year P drivers aged 18-20 yrs at licensing

23. Casualty Crash involvement - annualisedFirst year P drivers aged 18-20 yrs at licensing by age of L permit acquisition

24. Serious Casualty Crash involvement - annualisedFirst year P drivers aged 18-20 yrs at licensing by age of L permit acquisition

25. Casualty crash involvements Probationary drivers in their first year of driving and aged 18-20 yrs at licensing carrying either “0/1 passengers” or “2+ passengers”

26. Serious casualty crash involvements Probationary drivers in their first year of driving and aged 18-20 yrs at licensing carrying either “0/1 passengers” or “2+ passengers”