ABSTRACT

Despite decades of research indicating driver education does not reduce crash involvement among beginning drivers, it still has tremendous popular appeal as a means to improve driver safety. Formal driver education programs enjoy widespread public acceptance around the world as the preferred way to prepare beginners for licensure. For example, a survey in the United States found that 86% considered driver education courses “very important” in training new drivers to drive safely. Only 2% thought it was not important.¹ When the young driver problem is addressed in public forums, there inevitably is an appeal for more or better driver education.