May 22nd, 2019

​'New research to help better prepare learner drivers for a lifetime of safe driving'

n January 2019, DVSA told you about the launch of the research project Driver 2020. The project is being run by The Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and the Department for Transport.
In this blog post, I'd like to tell you more about the aim of the research and how you can help.
The aim of Driver 2020Driver 2020 has been designed to improve learner and novice driver safety, by improving their skills, knowledge and attitudes.
The work you do to teach learners the skills they need to drive safely is vital. But it remains the case that newly qualified drivers are more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal accident than anyone else.
The interventions Driver 2020 has developed aim to explore different ways of complementing the work of which you already do.


Who can sign up?At this stage of the research we're looking for learner drivers, aged between 17 and 24, who have just started having driving lessons.
Learners who sign up for the study:

• may receive free additional training and e-learning, or be asked to download an app to help complement their learning
• will be paid to complete some surveys once they have passed their test and have the chance to win prizes which include a year of free car insurance, iPads, and shopping vouchers

Over the next year or so, we need to recruit over 12,000 learner drivers to take part. This is where you come in!


What’s involved?We'll be trialling 5 interventions aimed at learners and novice drivers in a series of controlled tests. These should work alongside the tuition they already receive from you.
3 of these interventions are aimed at learner drivers:

• using a logbook to increase the amount of pre-test on-road experience
• training hazard perception skills through e-learning, delivered throughout the learning process and just after test pass
• a classroom-based educational intervention to reduce road safety risk of young and novice drivers

Any pupil who registers will either be assigned to one of these groups at random, or to a control group who have no extra specific intervention.
The other 2 interventions, mentoring agreements and telematics, are aimed at people who have recently passed their test.


How you can helpThe most important thing you can do to help is tell your pupils about the research, and encourage them to visit the driver 2020 website to find out more.
We've also published a video which explains more about the research - I'd encourage you to share this with your pupils.


If any of your pupils are asked to be part of the logbook intervention, they'll be encouraged to use one to keep a record their training and they may ask you to support them with this.
It's up to you how you engage with this if asked.
You have a massive influence over your pupils and you play an important role in encouraging them to sign up to the research.