It's always important to understand young drivers
Success is more likely when you see things from your audience's point of view.
Young drivers are much more than a group
It’s easy to put young drivers into one big, homogeneous group, but for an intervention to be successful, it’s important to bear in mind that your audience will always be made up of a wide range of different personalities – each with their own needs.
Here are a few simple things to keep in mind.
People develop differently
Young and novice drivers are individuals. They’ll develop at different rates and their needs will often change as they do.
Not everyone cares about road safety
There’s a lot going on in most young people’s lives, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that road safety can often be low down the priority list.
Other public health messages
Young people are targeted by lots of other messages with topics ranging from sexual health and drug use to the risks of social media and mental health.
Bombarded with information
Whether it’s the media or friends, young people have a lot of information coming in through multiple channels. Any intervention needs a clear aim and outcome to try and cut through the noise.
Look beyond the stereotypes
Young people are often thought of as overconfident, reckless law breakers. However, of course, many of them are conscientious, careful drivers who need support to help them stay safe.
A real range of personalities
One study analysed the personality and crash risk of young drivers. From this, they developed the following types of young driver:
Considerates
Slightly more women than men – accident risk lower than average
Socially deviants
Mostly men – accident risk above average.
Anxious
Mainly women – accident risk below average.
Considerate sensation-seekers
Average accident risk.
Aggressive
Majority men – accident risk above average.
Adaptable, but egoistic
Mostly men – average accident risk.