Research and analysis

Behavioural insights interventions to encourage learner drivers to practise more

Findings from a trial which sought to encourage learners to gain more on-road experience before taking their test, potentially increasing their road safety.

• From: Department for Transport
• Published: 30 July 2018

Documents

Learning to drive messaging trial: simple and low cost behavioural interventions to encourage learner drivers to practise more

PDF, 533 KB, 45 pages

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Annex: research findings from focus groups with learner and novice drivers – perceptions of and motivations towards driving

PDF, 1.11 MB, 65 pages

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Details

Findings from a randomised controlled trial which sought to encourage learners to gain more on-road experience before taking their test, potentially increasing their road safety.

The research examined the impact that behavioural interventions had across several road safety related outcomes, such as the length of the learning period. The interventions were delivered to learner drivers at 2 points, these were:

• the point of booking a practical driving test, through the online booking system
• two weeks before the scheduled driving test, through an email

The research found that:

• several behavioural interventions were successful at the point of booking — before learners had the opportunity to rebook their test
• after accounting for rebooking behaviour only one intervention was linked to an increased length of learning period
• the successful intervention involved sending an email to learner drivers with a ‘safety message’
• the email messaging seemed to work best when it contained facts and figures about road safety and when combined with a ‘call to action’

Published 30 July 2018