Key Players and Their Interactions Within the Young Driver Road Safety System: Perspectives and Partners

Abstract

Young driver road safety has persisted as a global problem for over 50 years, despite a plethora of intervention. Interventions have emerged from a driver-centric approach, and as such predominantly focus upon “fixing-the-driver”. An alternative approach with traction in other safety critical, high risk, domains is systems thinking, which recognises there are a multitude of influential actors (eg, government agencies, community groups) within the broader road safety system that influence young driver safety. Premised on a description of the young driver road safety system (YDRSS) that describes the actors across six levels, interviews were held with 42 actors important in young driver road safety. Synthesis of semi-structured interview transcripts revealed some horizontal integration (interaction amongst actors in the same level) and limited vertical integration (interaction between actors in lower and higher levels), suggesting the current YDRSS is ineffective. A systems approach integrating findings from the driver-centric approach whilst deepening understandings of the complex web of interrelationships amongst actors offers a unique solution to a complex problem. Thus the interviews have revealed avenues of intervention in the YDRSS that can lead to improvements in their road safety and in the road safety of all who share the road with them.

Keywords: Systems Thinking, Road Safety, Young Driver, Actor, Intervention

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100687