Per-Arne Rimmö
Dept of Psychology
Uppsala University, Sweden
and
Nils-Petter Gregersen
Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist
Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)
Linköping, Sweden
Young driver's relative over involvement in crashes may, at least partly, be explained by their relative lack of experience. A great number of the driving education literature reviews has identified lack of experience as a major problem.
A reform, which was implemented in September 1993, made it possible for 16 years olds (previously 17½) to practising car driving, while the licensing age remained eighteen. The aim of this reform was primarily to give learner drivers the opportunity to acquire more experience before being allowed driving on their own. Any person over 24 years, holding a driver's license for a period of at least 5 years, may act as a supervisor of such training.
A number of countries have introduced similar reforms - extended learning period and graduated licensing - (e.g. Belgium. France and Norway) with the common aim of increasing young driver's traffic related experience.
The general idea behind an extended learning period is to increase the total bank of experience under supervision. This has been based on the assumption that a driver with an extended period of practice will be better off, having had the opportunity to experience many different driving situations.