Multiple Driver Characteristics Have Potential to Identify Safe, Younger Drivers

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American Transportation Research Institute

Aug 09, 2017, 16:32 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released the phase one findings of research investigating the potential for developing a Younger Driver Assessment Tool – one that would identify younger drivers who exhibit many of the same characteristics as safe, older commercial drivers.

To assess the feasibility of identifying safe younger drivers, ATRI reviewed existing scientific literature on driver characteristics and the associated safety outcomes. This report summarizes the psychology literature on early adulthood, and how characteristics of this age group relate to driving safety. The research was conducted in conjunction with Dr. Monica Luciana, Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Individual traits that can reliably predict driver safety outcomes – personality, health, and cognition – are identified and discussed in this latest ATRI report. The next phase of ATRI's research will involve assembling the relevant measures of the identified predictive factors and conducting a beta test of the Assessment Tool on a small sample of both veteran and entry-level drivers. Results of the beta test will determine if a larger scale study is warranted.

"The potential to screen for the safest candidates among younger new entrants is an exciting step in the industry's workforce expansion. We look forward to working with ATRI in the development and testing of the Younger Driver Assessment Tool," said Greg Koepel, Vice President, Workforce Development and Administration, Roehl Transport, Inc.

You can download this technical memo from ATRI's website at TruckingResearch.org.

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501c3 not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system. You can visit ATRI's website at TruckingResearch.org to see more ATRI research.

SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute