Modeling the Behavior of Novice Young Drivers Using Data from In- Vehicle Data Recorders

Novice young drivers suffer from increased crash risk that translates into over-representation in road injuries. A better understanding of the driving behavior of novice young drivers and of their determinants is needed to tackle this problem. To this extent, this study analyzes the behavior of novice young drivers within a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program. Data on driving behavior of novice drivers and their parents is collected using in-vehicle data recorders, which calculate compound risk indices as measures of the risk taking behavior of the various drivers. Data is used to estimate a negative binomial model to identify the major factors that affect the driving behavior of the young drivers. Estimation results suggest that the risk taking behavior of young drivers is influenced by that of their parents and decreases with higher levels of supervised driving and stricter monitoring by the parents.