New funding aims to improve young driver hazard perception skills.

Using modern technology, the project hopes to develop the skills of young drivers as they learn to drive and gain on-the-road experience.

The funding will be used to adapt an already successful program from the US.

Look and learn

The Road Safety Trust has awarded researchers at the University of Leeds a grant to help develop young drivers’ hazard anticipation skills.

A grant of over £250,000 will be used to research and develop virtual reality software for headsets.

Poor hazard anticipation or ineffective visual scanning for potential hazards is a key contributory factor to young drivers’ increased crash risk.

The introduction of the Hazard Perception assessment into the driving test has already proven to be significant in improving young drivers’ skills.

This new project project will adapt and trial a successful training approach in the US.

Preparing for the road ahead

The Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) approach uses a 3M (mistakes, mediation and mastery) error-training strategy.

Learning materials are used to guide trainees toward an appropriate mediation strategy after they make a mistake while searching for potential hazards on the road.

Trainees then master the mediation strategy by searching again for potential hazards.

It is a training program delivered using a Head-Mounted Display (HMD).

This is then evaluated using a multi-method approach, including simulator and on-road driving and a longitudinal self-report study.

Results and findings will be shared with stakeholders.

Finally, the validated training programme will be made available free of charge.

Raising skill levels

“We believe that the proposed training has the potential to provide an innovative and easily accessible training solution for UK drivers,” says Ruth Madigan, University of Leeds.

Madigan hopes the development “can help young drivers to improve their risk anticipation skills, leading to safer driving behaviours in this at-risk group.”

The funding has been provided through The Road Safety Trust’s Autumn 2023 funding round.

Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, says the program is “innovative” and provides an excellent opportunity to improve young driver skills.

“It is well established that young drivers face an increased crash risk on the road.

“One reason for this is an inability to anticipate hazards. This project will use an innovative approach that has been successful in the US to address the issue, improving safety for young, novice drivers across the country.”

To learn more about the project, visit The Road Safety Trust website.