South Australia's Driver Intervention Program: Personality characteristics of participants and their subsequent crash and offence experience

Abstract

The Driver Intervention Program (DIP) is a 90-minute interactive small-group workshop for disqualified L- or P-plate drivers aged 25 or younger, living in Adelaide and some rural centres. Those eligible for DIP are not some limited number of “repeat” or “problem” drivers: one offence of speeding is sufficient for licence disqualification. The present paper covers the following issues. (1) On the basis of other literature, how effective would the DIP be expected to be, and how cost effective? Very low effectiveness would be expected. DIP is very cheap, however, and could possibly still be good value for money. (2) In regards to attitudes and personality characteristics of participants, are these similar to or deviant from those of young people not disqualified from driving? DIP participants differ only in quite minor ways from other young people. (3) How do those who participated in DIP compare with those who should have done but did not (paying an expiation fee instead), in respect of subsequent crashes and offences? The crash experiences do not differ, but DIP participants have fewer subsequent offences. (4) Can DIP be improved? What else might be done about young driver attitudes and behaviours? Some minor suggestions for fine-tuning can be made. But if a big impact on young driver attitudes and behaviours is wanted, an expensive, intrusive, intervention with the whole population should be considered: some form of psychotherapy.