Recent evidence in the road safety research literature indicates that skills in hazard perception, visual search and attention may be developing executive functions in young novice drivers before the age of 25 years, contributing to their unintentional risk taking behaviour and subsequent high crash rates. The present research aimed to investigate these skills, whether they are predictive of each other, and whether hazard perception can be improved through road commentary training. Twenty-two young novice drivers and eight experienced drivers were recruited as participants in this study. The experienced drivers performed significantly better than the novice drivers on the hazard detection task that was specifically designed for the study. Their visual search skills were also examined and compared using the Visual Search and Attention Test, with the experienced drivers performing significantly better than the novice drivers. Interestingly, a significant positive correlation was found between the scores of the participants on the hazard detection task and the Visual Search and Attention Test which may indicate that the hazard detection skills can be predicted. The novice driver group who received 12 trials of video based road commentary training significantly improved in their hazard detection skills, suggesting that video based road commentary could be an effective road safety intervention for young novice drivers and if developed into a more comprehensive programme, holds promise for future implementation into the New Zealand Graduated Driver Licensing System. The results also hold promise for future investigation into the use of the Visual Search and Attention Test as a predictor of hazard perception skills in novice drivers.

Typescript Includes bibliographical references

The aim of this thesis was to examine the extent, and correlates, of self-regulation of driving behaviour among a sample of South Australian older drivers (aged 60 or more). The first of four studies was an analysis of official crash statistics in South Australia over a period of five years. The patterns of crash involvement for South Australian older drivers were found to resemble those reported in the literature for other jurisdictions. Lower levels of crash involvement for older drivers in difficult driving situations (peak hour, rain, darkness) were interpreted as indirect evidence for self-regulation of driving behaviour. The second study involved pilot testing a measure developed specifically for assessing the visual attention of older adults (the Computerised Visual Attention Test - CVAT). The CVAT assesses visual attention by measuring target detection and reaction time for central and peripheral stimuli, and in conditions requiring selective and divided attention. The third study involved assessing the test-retest reliability, construct validity and predictive validity of the CVAT. It was concluded that the CVAT is a reliable measure of abilities including, but not restricted to, attention, and that it is correlated with on-road driving ability. The fourth study involved an examination of the driving behaviour and attitudes of 104 drivers aged over 60, with avoidance of difficult driving situations providing an index of self-regulation. These drivers also completed a battery of tests measuring psychological factors, vision, physical functioning, various cognitive abilities, and attention (the CVAT). Ninety participants additionally completed an on-road assessment of driving ability. It was found that older drivers most often avoided reverse parallel parking and driving at night in the rain, while driving alone was avoided least often. Measures of visual attention, medication use and visual acuity were most predictive of levels of self-regulation, while poorer driving ability was only associated with avoidance of a small number of specific situations. Functional deficits related to poorer driving ability but not to self-regulation included poorer contrast sensitivity, speed of information processing and spatial memory. Such deficits could identify drivers who may need to restrict their driving more than they do. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Department of Psychology, 2004.

In Australia and other developed countries, young drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes than older, more experienced drivers. However, not all young drivers are crash involved. There is increasing evidence within road safety literature suggesting the existence of a subgroup of young drivers with an elevated risk of crashing. The aim of this thesis was to examine characteristics of young drivers (aged 16 to 24 years) that identify those with an elevated risk of crash involvement and to validate high-risk driver subtypes among different young driver populations. Young driver interventions might be more effective if tailored to the needs and motivations of these specific subgroups of young drivers identified as being at a higher risk of crash involvement. The first of four studies examined the ability of previous driving behaviour, reflected in driver records, to identify high-risk drivers, that is, drivers deemed culpable for a fatal crash. The official driver records, both crashes and traffic offences, of drivers involved in a multiple vehicle fatal crash were tracked for five years prior to the fatal crash (N=388). This analysis was repeated for a subset of young drivers aged 16 to 24 years (n=82). Although driver records (i.e., prior drink driving offences) had some value in identifying high-risk drivers, they were not useful in identifying the subset of high-risk young drivers. The second study involved an examination of personality characteristics, motivations, driving related attitudes, and behaviours to ascertain whether they could differentiate young traffic offenders (N=336), drivers detected engaging in risky driving, from other young drivers (i.e., university students N=270). Based on a wide variety of questionnaire measures, the profile of characteristics for the offenders indicated that they were well adjusted and generally did not differ greatly from the students. However, there were notable differences on some measures related to aggression. In addition, offenders generally had less safety-oriented attitudes towards road safety issues than students. Considering that young drivers are not a homogenous group, the third and fourth studies examined whether personality characteristics and attitudes could identify different subtypes of young drivers, specifically subtypes with an elevated crash risk. The existence of subtypes was examined and validated among the two young driver populations: university students (N=270) and young traffic offenders (N=336). Based on questionnaire measures, cluster analysis identified four meaningful young driver subtypes in each of the young driver populations. High-risk young driver subtypes were more clearly differentiated among young drivers already identified by their driving record as high-risk (i.e., traffic offenders). Of significance, the high-risk young driver subtypes had a similar profile (i.e., "emotional, hostile" and "thrill-seeking") to those found in previous research. Interventions that matched the needs of these high-risk subtypes were discussed. A 12-month follow up of driver records showed that high-risk subtypes continued to be detected for more traffic offences than other subtypes, and there was a trend of greater crash involvement. It is recommended that further research follow these driver records for a number of years to allow comprehensive validation of these subtypes. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1280851 / Thesis (PhD)-- School of Psychology, 2007

<p>This thesis aims at explaining why the UK residential electricity (retail) market enjoys high gross margins in comparison to Vattenfall’s markets in for example Sweden. Gross margin is the difference between selling price and purchase costs, in this case the wholesale electricity price. The wholesale market essentially affects all retailers in the same way and can be analysed separately, therefore it is of great interest to analyse how there can be such a wide gap between the end-user electricity price and the wholesale price. Since the UK electricity market is seen as a forerunner to other markets, being an early adopter of liberalisation of a previously state-controlled industry and seen as the most competitive market in the world, it seems a bit odd that retail electricity prices are not pushed down to a margin cost level as is expected on a perfectly competitive market.</p><p>The report concludes that there are substantially higher gross margins on the UK market and then goes on to determine which the underlying drivers to this situation are. There are two underlying socio-cultural factors that have driven the development of the market. First it is the history of deregulation that brought lower end-user prices but also bad service experiences. Secondly, the UK public has a market-friendly mentality and acceptance to how the industry works. The result is that focus has moved away from price and there is little public worry about the market being too concentrated. Two more underlying drivers are related to the properties of the market: the linkage between gas and electricity that has lessened the impact of the electricity price and the UK trading system that makes it hard for new retailers to enter the market and put a pressure downwards on prices and gross margins.</p><p>These four underlying drivers have created a market situation where price has not been perceived as the only value component of electricity and where the focus on price and gross margins has been overshadowed by other issues in the public debate. The troublesome history have produced a ‘demand for brand’ that signals safety, which has helped building substantial barriers of entry and survival for non-incumbents retailers. Together with a highly consolidated market structure, a handful of large retailers are enabled to dominate the market and push up prices with little fear of retribution from competitors or society.</p> / The attachment F is data corrections of figures 1.7 and 1.8.

Graduation date: 2004 / Best scan available. Text at top of each page is blurry or missing on original copy.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--North Carolina State University, 2005. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 109-113). Also available online via the North Carolina State University Libraries website (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/).

What is home? Is it simply a place, or is it something more than that? What is the nature of home for truck drivers? Where does it occur, and how do they create and conceptualize it? I examine the literature on home, concluding that home is not a place but rather a relationship that occurs between an individual and a place. I then draw upon autoethnographic research to communicate how truck drivers conceptualize and create home.

This study sets out to address the question of whether the costs and the benefits of measuring intellectual capital assets differ depending on the driver for that measure. Although pressure is growing on firms to measure and report on their intellectual capital assets no research has yet been published that questions the costs associated with such actions. And although academic research has purported to show links between the management of intellectual capital assets and real business benefits the research carried out thus far'has not focussed specifically on the benefits of measuring intellectual capital assets. Although there are now a variety of intellectual capital asset measurement frameworks there has been no cross comparison as to which intellectual capital asset measures provide the most business insight or where the outcome of that measurement is most effective. Using a multi method approach the thesis is tested in three phases; an extensive literature review covering intellectual capital, performance measurement and organisational effectiveness; a survey and content analysis to explore what and why companies measure; and structured interviewing of six companies to investigate the costs and the benefits of measurement. The thesis is tested through the investigation of thirteen propositions which show that: firstly, there is a difference in the relative cost of measuring intellectual capital assets given the measurement driver, which is explained by the frequency of measurement, the mode of data collection and analysis, and whether the use of the measure is a by product of some other driver, secondly, that the insight provided by an intellectual capital asset measure differs given the measurement driver, thirdly, that the measurement of intellectual capital assets is most effective for planning the future; and lastly, that particular measurement drivers are effective, to differing degrees, in financial, customer, operational, people and future organisational performance domains.

This thesis aims at explaining why the UK residential electricity (retail) market enjoys high gross margins in comparison to Vattenfall’s markets in for example Sweden. Gross margin is the difference between selling price and purchase costs, in this case the wholesale electricity price. The wholesale market essentially affects all retailers in the same way and can be analysed separately, therefore it is of great interest to analyse how there can be such a wide gap between the end-user electricity price and the wholesale price. Since the UK electricity market is seen as a forerunner to other markets, being an early adopter of liberalisation of a previously state-controlled industry and seen as the most competitive market in the world, it seems a bit odd that retail electricity prices are not pushed down to a margin cost level as is expected on a perfectly competitive market. The report concludes that there are substantially higher gross margins on the UK market and then goes on to determine which the underlying drivers to this situation are. There are two underlying socio-cultural factors that have driven the development of the market. First it is the history of deregulation that brought lower end-user prices but also bad service experiences. Secondly, the UK public has a market-friendly mentality and acceptance to how the industry works. The result is that focus has moved away from price and there is little public worry about the market being too concentrated. Two more underlying drivers are related to the properties of the market: the linkage between gas and electricity that has lessened the impact of the electricity price and the UK trading system that makes it hard for new retailers to enter the market and put a pressure downwards on prices and gross margins. These four underlying drivers have created a market situation where price has not been perceived as the only value component of electricity and where the focus on price and gross margins has been overshadowed by other issues in the public debate. The troublesome history have produced a ‘demand for brand’ that signals safety, which has helped building substantial barriers of entry and survival for non-incumbents retailers. Together with a highly consolidated market structure, a handful of large retailers are enabled to dominate the market and push up prices with little fear of retribution from competitors or society. / The attachment F is data corrections of figures 1.7 and 1.8.