Young novice driver speed and headway at signalised intersections: Exploratory insights from a naturalistic driving study in New South Wales, Australia

Young novice drivers are disproportionately killed and seriously injured on Australian roads. Driving at a safe speed and maintaining a safe following distance help to reduce the risk of a crash and the severity of its consequences. This study characterised young novice driver speed and headway behaviour on approach to signalised intersections, and investigated the environmental factors, both fixed and temporal, affecting this behaviour. The vehicle data of seven newly provisionally licenced drivers collected as part of the Young Australian Naturalistic Driving Study (YANDS) was combined with secondary road infrastructure data. Linear and logistic models were fit with generalised estimating equations to account for within-subject dependence when estimating the effect of environmental factors on the mean approach speed, headway, speeding, and tailgating behaviour of young novice drivers during a combined 1,616 straight-through movements at green traffic light signals. The exploratory findings (N=7) suggest that roads with lower posted speed limits were correlated with higher relative approach speeds, a greater likelihood of speeding, longer following distances, and a lower likelihood of tailgating. Driving on unfamiliar roads and afternoon peak traffic were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of speeding. Wide lanes ( > 3.5 m) were significantly correlated with increased mean approach speed. The study informed an understanding of young novice driver behaviour, and the discussion of the design and implementation of driver training, licensure, assistive technology, and enforcement to address identified crash risks. The methodology can also contribute to future system-oriented research to inform young novice driver safety.