Study explains what many others know — you can’t drive very well
South Australians may be the last to work it out, but they probably can’t drive as well as they say they can. And now a study has found out why.
You can’t drive as well as you think you can and here’s why.
The State Government commissioned Adelaide University researchers to find out how well experts could rely on drivers’ own assessments of their skills behind the wheel.
Lisa Wundersitz, from the university’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research, said the results were often inflated.
“People have what we call ‘the optimism bias’,” Dr Wundersitz said.
“If you ask them to rate themselves out of ten as a driver, most people will rate themselves above five; say 8, 9, 10. Especially young people and especially young males. So they will over-estimate their own ability and also underestimate the risks they have encountered on the road.
“Optimism and overestimation of ability is created because most times you are driving something bad doesn’t happen, which reinforces that you are a good driver.’’
Dr Wundersitz said self-reporting was one of the most common tools available to road safety researchers. She said one way around people’s strong opinions of their own driving was to use anonymous surveys.
“It doesn’t have to be intentional by drivers but there are inaccuracies. Researchers are always trying to capture better ways of working out what drivers are doing on the road.
“It doesn’t have to be about a driver being dishonest, there is also the ‘social desirability bias’, which is worrying about what people think of you.’’
The Government wants to take a harder-hitting approach to road safety campaigns after closing the Motor Accident Commission earlier this month.
Campaigns will now be managed by the Transport Department and SA Police.
The direction of the MAC’s safety messages has since been criticised by the State Government because, despite winning marketing awards, they did not have a strong enough impact on driver behaviour.
Road Safety Minister Corey Wingard said the research showed the Government was on the right track with a new emphasis on direct distraction as a major cause of deaths on the road.
“It is clear that many motorists who engage in reckless behaviour think they have the skills to do so without causing an accident,’’ he said.
Dr Wundersitz said people tended to be confident as drivers, but often a simple mistake could lead to a serious accident.
“Simple human errors, like just taking eyes away from the road briefly, can lead to serious consequences,’’ she said.
RAA road safety expert Charles Mountain said despite their confidence behind the wheel, many drivers did not know basic road rules.
“The RAA’s research reveals many motorists struggle with the road rules, especially when it comes to the dos and don’ts at roundabouts and when merging lanes,’’ Mr Mountain said.