Young driver cohort (DRIVE) study

The aim is to investigate the importance of potential determinants of motor vehicle-related crashes and injuries among young drivers aged 17 - 24 years, including road risk perceptions, risky driving behaviours, pre-licensing driving experience, training and education, mental health, and sleep habits.

Methods

DRIVE is a prospective web-based cohort study of 20,822 young NSW drivers. All provisional drivers holding NSW red 'P1' plates and aged 17 - 24 years during June 2003 to December 2004 were eligible to join the study. Baseline information from participants were subsequently linked prospectively to offence, crash, injury, and death data through to December 2005.

Status

The pilot study was completed in November 2002 and the main phase of the study was launched by the NSW Minister for Roads, The Hon. Carl Scully, MP, in February 2003. 20,822 young drivers joined the study.

A resurvey phase, in which a random sample of participants was asked to complete a second questionnaire approximately one year after they first joined the study, was conducted from late 2004 through 2005.

Related unit: Injury