Driver Training: An Effective Tool for Improving Road Safety in India

Abstract

Increasing number of road accidents coupled with increasing vehicle population means an increase in the number of aggressive road users resulting in incidence of road rage. Inexperienced drivers often experience anxiety due to their underdeveloped and declining skills, which influence their behavior. Researches done by Lorenz, Schneider and Bukasa, and Siegrist and Roscova have categorized unwanted driving behavior into errors, mistakes, lapses and violations. To highlight the effectiveness of correct training on the drivers' performance, this research work was done in Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) Traffic Psychological Laboratory (the only laboratory of its kind in India). In this study, a purposive sample of two groups of drivers, i.e. highly skilled and trained group of drivers versus city bus drivers, was selected and they were administered the following psychomotor ability tests: i) decision and reaction capacity, ii) concentration capacity, iii) tolerance capacity under stress situation, and iv) special perceptual capacity (visual structuring ability). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of different test performances of the selected groups showed that specially trained group exhibited significantly superior performance in different tests as compared to the other group. Inappropriate driving behavior is considered one of the major causes of road accidents in India besides defective geometric design of pavement or mechanical defects in vehicles. Due to various unsafe practices among Indian drivers such as lack of lane discipline, disregard to traffic laws, frequent traffic violations, increase in crashes due to self-centered driving, etc. It also demotivates educated drivers from following good driving practices. Hence, improved driver behavior can be an effective countermeasure to reduce the vulnerability of road users and inhibit crash risks. This article highlights improved driver behavior through better driver education, driver training and licensing procedures along with good on-road enforcement (Ashish Verma et al. , 2011). On the basis of these findings, the present study was carried out to emphasize the urgent demand of an effective and uniform testing and training system in India.