Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Officials responsible for the control and administration of the traffic on the highways and streets of the nation are aware that good roads, markings, signals, and equipment are necessary. They also realize that the human element involved in the process of operating a vehicle is of the utmost importance. Highways can only be termed good to the extent of the actions of the drivers who use these roads. Studies have been made throughout the nation in different states and cities to determine the results of formal training of drivers. The results of these studies answer many questions and also leave many questions unanswered. A previous study by H. Neil Anderson, in 1952, of the city high schools here in Utah gave some indication of the validity of the hypothesis that students who successfully coplete the driver education course have better performace records than those who did not take the course. Anderson's study, and others in the nation, leaves a challenge to carry out a survey over a longer period of actual driving time for the participants in the Salt Lake City high schools. The purpose of this thesis is to make a comprehensive study of driving records of Salt Lake City high school students who have received training in the driver education program, and those of students who have received no such training. The main objective of this study is to compare the driving records in terms of violations and accidents of the trained drivers against the violations and accidents records of the untrained drivers. This is a comprehensive study evaluating driver education in the senior high schools from analyses of driving records of Salt Lake City high school students.

Driving is the preferred mode of transportation among community-dwelling older Canadians. Unfortunately, drivers aged 70+ have a high risk of being injured or killed in a collision. Many collisions are caused by poor driving habits, which could be avoided by improving their behind-the-wheel behaviours. The manuscripts in this thesis describe the development of an evidence-based and user-informed driver training program aimed at refreshing older adults’ driving skills. First, a systematic review of older driver training programs was undertaken to examine evidence specific to the impact of this training on improving road safety knowledge, self-perceived driving abilities, and on-road performance. Results highlighted the breadth of approaches used to train older drivers. Interventions were most effective when feedback was tailored to the specific needs of an aging driver. The second manuscript outlines a qualitative descriptive analysis exploring older adults’ motivations to participate in driver training with key stakeholders (i.e., older drivers and service delivery providers). Findings indicated having insight into one’s driving abilities, experiencing a near-miss or crash, as well as an openness to improving behind-the-wheel skills were factors that could influence seeking out and participating in such training. Stakeholders also emphasized considerations for educating older drivers. The final manuscript describes the design and evaluation of a driver training program. In this randomized controlled trial, older drivers watched either a video of tailored feedback on their driving or a generic video on aging-in-place. When the on-road performance was compared between treatment groups, those who received tailored feedback significantly reduced the number of errors they made behind-the-wheel. Ensuring driver training programs are designed to consider the specific needs and preferences of older adults is critical, which can lead to innovations that help maintain driving ability and community mobility in later life. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Being able to drive is important to many older Canadians. Unfortunately, drivers aged 70+ have a high risk of being injured or killed in a car crash. Many crashes could be avoided by improving their driving skills. This thesis describes the development of an older driver training program. The first study examined research evidence on such programs where tailoring feedback was key to improving on-road performance. In the second study, older adults and other stakeholders identified what was important when designing training for aging drivers. They felt the focus should be on areas of improvement as well as strengths when behind-the-wheel. In the final study, older drivers underwent training where they watched either a video with feedback on their driving or a generic video on aging-in-place. Those who received feedback made fewer mistakes behind-the-wheel. Findings emphasize the importance of including older adults’ needs and preferences when designing driver training programs.

121f. / Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-04-17T13:28:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Tatiane Chatesseg.pdf: 821765 bytes, checksum: c8ba57f8e181c9e560a49f91d81ff9e2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rodrigo Meirelles(rodrigomei@ufba.br) on 2013-04-20T15:08:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Tatiane Chatesseg.pdf: 821765 bytes, checksum: c8ba57f8e181c9e560a49f91d81ff9e2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-04-20T15:08:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Tatiane Chatesseg.pdf: 821765 bytes, checksum: c8ba57f8e181c9e560a49f91d81ff9e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / O currículo trabalhado pela Escola Pública de Trânsito, na Bahia, constitui-se importante fonte de dados para a análise da reprodução escolar das desigualdades de gênero, também presente nas relações pedagógicas de gênero, vivenciadas cotidianamente entre professores/as e alunos/as. Tais relações pedagógicas de gênero podem ser encontradas nas considerações acerca do tempo e do espaço escolares, das metáforas ilustrativas usadas em sala de aula e da interação entre a turma formada e os/as professores/as. As formas através das quais a reprodução dos estereótipos de gênero, percebidos no cotidiano do trânsito urbano, se processa no ambiente educacional devem merecer particular atenção dos curricularistas, sejam eles tradicionais, críticos ou pós-críticos. Neste sentido, a presente análise do currículo adotado pela Escola Pública de Trânsito, inspirada pelas concepções inerentes à Teoria Crítica e com o aporte dos Estudos de Gênero em Educação, envolveu três procedimentos, a saber: 1. Observação das aulas do curso teórico, relativo à aquisição da primeira habilitação; 2. Análise da Proposta Pedagógica; 3. Entrevistas com os instrutores, com base na técnica da entrevista semi-estruturada. Para tais observações e entrevistas, foram usadas, a partir de uma concepção epistemológica inspirada nos Estudos Feministas, como referencial analítico e instrumental, a etnopesquisa e a Teoria das Representações Sociais. Etnopesquisa entendida como pesquisa centrada no sujeito observador e no sujeito observado, ao passo que as Representações Sociais possibilitam o desvelamento do imaginário coletivo, em seu caráter interpretativo das práticas sociais. A partir da utilização dos métodos expostos, constatou-se o surgimento da Andragogia como modalidade pertinente à Educação para o Trânsito, na medida em que os/as adultos/as são abstratamente atendidos/as pelas teorias educacionais em geral. Quanto às imagens utilizadas em sala de aula, poucas inferências foram feitas acerca do seu potencial analítico, referente às representações sociais de gênero em particular. O processo de aprendizagem das mulheres foi considerado, pelos instrutores, como diferenciado em relação ao dos homens. Características como inquietação, indecisão, observância às regras de trânsito e o cuidado extremado ao dirigir foram consideradas tipicamente femininas. Ao final desta dissertação, o conceito de condução perfeita foi problematizado, por representar o tema central das aulas do curso teórico, para aquisição da primeira habilitação. / Salvador

No description available.

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death during adolescence, with the fatal crash rate per mile-driven for 16-19 years old drivers being nearly 3 times larger than the rate for drivers age 20 and older. High gravitational events among teenage drivers, such as quick starts, and hard stops, have been shown to be highly correlated with crash rates. The current younger driver training programs developed in the late 1990s, however, do not appear to be especially effective in regard to many skills which are critical to avoiding crashes. With this in mind, a simulator-based training program aimed at reducing the behaviors that make quick accelerations unsafe and quick decelerations unnecessary was designed and evaluated. The training adopts the active training strategy which has been proven to be effective, and includes those scenarios in which teenage drivers are at highest risks. It is expected that drivers who receive the active training will drive more safely than drivers who receive the placebo training, in terms of eye scanning behaviors in scenarios where quick accelerations are necessary (e.g., how often they glance towards areas where threats could emerge), following behaviors in scenarios where a lead vehicle could stop suddenly (e.g., how much headway they allow between their vehicle and a lead vehicle), and vehicle behaviors such as speed, acceleration rate, deceleration rate and headway.

Traffic fatalities and injuries among young drivers as a result of road crashes constitute a serious public health problem. The ultimate goal of traffic safety work in Sweden has been formulated in Vision Zero, which includes an image of a future in which no one will be killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes. Therefore, it is unacceptable that young learner and novice drivers are involved in road crashes that result in fatalities or severe injuries. Driver education is an important tool to increase the probability that young drivers actually take their share of the responsibility for Vision Zero by obeying traffic rules and driving as safely as possible. The general aim of the work underlying this thesis was to determine the potential of driver education to reduce road traffic crashes involving young drivers, particularly in Sweden. Paper I examined the relationship between the way in which the education is carried out and the outcome of the driving test. Paper II explored whether there are any gender‐related differences regarding driving practicing, the outcome of the license tests, and involvement in crashes during the first year of licensure. Paper III evaluated the reform that made it possible for learner drivers to start practicing from 16 years of age in terms of its effects on crashes involving young novice drivers. In paper IV, the focus was on investigating crashes during practice and comparing the results with the corresponding situation for novice divers during their first two years of licensure. Paper V assessed an insight‐based educational approach aimed at inducing young drivers to make better use of vehicle‐related safety equipment. The findings of two of the studies (papers III and IV) showed that, in Sweden, taking advantage of the possibility to start practicing behind the wheel from the age of 16 years had a beneficial effect seen as reduced crash involvement among those young drivers. In paper V, it was revealed that using an insight‐based educational approach can have a positive influence on learner drivers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards the use of car safety equipment (e.g., safety belts). In paper I, it was found that it is difficult to explain why 18–24‐year‐olds pass or fail the driving test on the basis of background variables and information concerning how they had practiced driving. Paper II showed that, for females, training pursued in a more structured manner did not seem to be beneficial for the outcome of the license tests, and that males aged 18–24 were involved in 1.9 more injury crashes per 1,000 drivers than females during their first year of licensed driving. Suggestions are given that can be used to develop the Swedish licensing system in a way that will increase the potential of driver education to reduce traffic crashes among young drivers. These ideas comprise aspects such as the following: persuading the youngest learner driver population to start practicing as early and as much as possible; the learning period should be better organized, which includes improved agreement between the goals of the national curriculum, the content/process of driver education, and the design of the license tests; professional instruction of learners in both the theory and the practice of driving should be a more prominent component of driver education; and parts of the Swedish licensing system should be made mandatory to help solve the problems of young drivers and to fulfil he goals of the national curriculum. / <p>On the date of the defence the status of article II was: In press.</p>

As technology is becoming ever more present in the world, the use of simulators as a teaching tool is more prevalent than ever, with good evidence to back up their usefulness. Drivers’ education is one area among many that is seeing this change. These types of simulators are often classified by their level of fidelity, or how alike the simulator is to reality. However, fidelity is a far from precise term with many sub-categories that different researchers treat differently. This means, along with a lack of research, that the knowledge on how fidelity affects learning in simulations is diffuse. This study aimed to investigate how specifically changing the immersive feeling of a truck simulator affected the speed of learning to reverse with a virtual truck and trailer. More immersion was achieved by constructing a crude roof and walls on the simulator mimicking the inside of a vehicle. Results showed that there was no significant increase in the learning speed. However, there was a relatively near significant difference (p=0.148) between the groups, where more immersion was linked to faster learning. Participants also judged the simulator as being more useful in their learning if experiencing the immersive setup, which could be a potential cause of the near significant difference. Because of the low sample size of 23, no definitive conclusions could be drawn from this study. Taken together, it seems that a larger study stands a good chance of revealing the effect simulator fidelity can have on learning from a relatively simple change of immersion.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of defensive driving as a preventative strategy for road traffic violations and collisions in Zimbabwe. A sample of one hundred defensive driving graduates was used in the study. The descriptive survey method was used and data were collected using a questionnaire schedule. Literature review revealed that the majority of similar s udies by other researchers indicate that defensive driving is effective in preventing traffic violations and traffic collisions. The major findings of the present study showed that: (a) The defensive driving course is effective in preventing traffic violations and collisions; and (b) The defensive driving course should be compulsory in Zimbabwe. In view of these findings, this researcher urges the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to request the government to make legislation that compels every motorist to attend the defensive driving course. The same organisation should start conducting research on road traffic accidents. / Criminology / MA (Criminology)

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of defensive driving as a preventative strategy for road traffic violations and collisions in Zimbabwe. A sample of one hundred defensive driving graduates was used in the study. The descriptive survey method was used and data were collected using a questionnaire schedule. Literature review revealed that the majority of similar s udies by other researchers indicate that defensive driving is effective in preventing traffic violations and traffic collisions. The major findings of the present study showed that: (a) The defensive driving course is effective in preventing traffic violations and collisions; and (b) The defensive driving course should be compulsory in Zimbabwe. In view of these findings, this researcher urges the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe to request the government to make legislation that compels every motorist to attend the defensive driving course. The same organisation should start conducting research on road traffic accidents. / Criminology and Security Science / MA (Criminology)