Poor hazard anticipation, or ineffective visual scanning for potential hazards, is a key contributory factor to novice drivers’ increased crash risk. Research has shown that simple PC-based Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) has been effective in improving US drivers hazard anticipation skills, leading to a 23% reduction in the crashes of young US male drivers, compared to a control group (Thomas et al., 2016). 

This error-based training focuses on enabling learners to understand situations in which a threat could potentially materialise. The initial UK version of this training, displayed using a Head Mounted Display (HMD), has been shown to improve participants’ performance on the validated UK Hazard Perception Test. However, it is not yet known if the effectiveness of this HMD training translates into improved performance while driving. 

This Road Safety Trust-funded project will present findings from a driving simulator study testing the effectiveness of the HMD training on drivers’ eye movement patterns and behavioural responses to potential hazards. This simulator-based evaluation will allow us to expose drivers to scenarios which may not be safe to test on the road. The results are expected to provide insights into the potential benefits of this type of training for young, novice drivers in the UK.

Dr Ruth Madigan, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds

Dr Ruth Madigan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds.

Her research focuses on two main areas: driver training and education, and driver and other road users’ interactions with automated vehicle technology.