Research shows that hazard perception skills are important for safe driving and that drivers with poor hazard perception skills usually have more crashes.
Research also shows that screen-based hazard perception tests can detect drivers with a higher risk of crash involvement.
The introduction of the Driver Qualification Test (DQT) should help reduce the high crash involvement of young and inexperienced drivers in NSW by:
- Encouraging P2 drivers to develop and refine their hazard perception skills; and
- Allowing only those who demonstrate sound hazard perception skills to graduate to a full licence
Part 2 of the DQT (advanced hazard perception) is based on the driving situations that lead to the five most common crash types for new full licence holders in NSW.
The most likely reasons that new full licence holders are involved in such crashes are:
- Travelling too closely behind other vehicles;
- Driving too fast for the conditions;
- Not looking far enough ahead when driving; and
- Choosing gaps that are too small when making turns, crossing intersections or overtaking.
Compared with provisional drivers, new full licence holders drivers have more crashes where they run into the back of another vehicle, and fewer crashes where they run off the road on a straight or curved road and hit something.
Five most common crash types
Almost 90% of crashes involving new full licence drivers in NSW fall into the following five crash types:
