title: Participation in driver education/training courses during graduated driver licensing, and the effect of a time-discount on subsequent traffic offenses: Findings from the New Zealand Drivers Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The New Zealand GDL includes a time-discount at the restricted license stage, for attendance at an approved driver education course. This is despite international evidence showing that earlier licensure associated with a time-discount can increase risk for newly licensed drivers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine participation in driver education courses and especially those that qualify for a time-discount; compare the profiles of course participants with non-participants; examine reasons for participation; and examine the association between a time-discount and traffic offenses once fully licensed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was based on the New Zealand Drivers Study (NZDS), a prospective cohort study of newly licensed drivers. Data on driver education courses were obtained at the full license interview (n=1763), driver license and traffic offense data from the NZ Driver Licence Registry, and other data at the NZDS interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  94% had heard of and 49% (n=868) participated in a defensive driving course (DDC). No other course had more than 1% participation. Compared with the others, the DDC group were young, non-Māori, and from an area of relatively low deprivation. Through GDL, the DDC group were relatively more compliant with the conditions, and less likely to crash or receive a traffic offense notice. The groups did not differ on personality, alcohol and drug use. The reason most (85%) attended a DDC was to get their full license sooner; 86% (n=748) received a time-discount. The time-discount group were 40% more likely to receive a traffic offense notice on their full license; this reduced to 10% after controlling for other factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study, when viewed in conjunction with other NZ crash evidence, indicate that a time-discount should not be given for completing a DDC or Street Talk course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: dorothy.begg@ipru.otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Begg
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address: rebecca.brookland@ipru.otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brookland
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D008004:Licensure; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009520:New Zealand; D010551:Personality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011640:Public Policy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Graduated driver licensing; Time-discount; Young drivers