Young drivers’ perception of hazards: Variation with experience and day versus night

• Inexperienced young drivers reported fewer hazards related to poor visibility. • More visibility hazard reports at night but night-time increase smaller for novices. • Experienced drivers more often reported ‘very tight bends’ as hazards. • Learners’ hazard reports decreased as mean vehicle speed in videos increased. • Inexperienced drivers reported more hazards concerning compliance with rules. Young novice drivers have a relatively high crash risk for several years following initial licensing, and while all drivers are at greater risk at night, the night-time increase is greater for inexperienced drivers. Poor hazard perception has been identified as an important contributor to inexperienced drivers’ risk, but research on day-night differences in hazard perception for drivers varying in experience is lacking. This exploratory study investigated the nature of hazards reported by young inexperienced drivers versus more experienced and slightly older drivers. Hazards were not pre-identified by researchers; participants were simply provided with a general definition of ‘hazard’. Analysis focused on how experience level affected qualitative differences in the kinds of hazards reported, with particular focus on day-night differences. The 53 participants ranged in driving experience from learners through to 5+years post licensing, and in age from 16 to 30 years. They viewed 14 day- and night-time video clips of a diverse range of driving situations, pausing the video whenever they identified a hazard and then explaining why they had paused it at that point. Their responses were recorded. Content analysis of responses showed that more experienced drivers reported visibility-related hazards significantly more often than inexperienced ones, and significantly more so at night. They also commented significantly more on hazards related to tight bends in the road and significantly less on hazards concerning compliance with rules. Comments tended to be fewer with higher vehicle speeds, particularly for the least experienced drivers. Results are discussed in terms of how experience-related differences in drivers’ cognitive schemata and mental models are likely to affect hazard perception and crash risk, particularly at night. Some implications for driver training and license testing are suggested.