Finnish novice drivers’ competences – Successful driving test candidates 2000–2009 evaluated by driving examiners

Examiners assessed 440,472 successful Finnish driving test candidates’ competences before solo driving in traffic. It is well known that novice drivers’, especially male novices’, early solo driving period is prone to accidents. However, whether the novice drivers’ initial competences change or remain the same in the long run is not known. The changes of the participants’ initial competences (vehicle control, control of the traffic situations, vulnerable road users, adaptation to traffic flow and planning, recognising and avoiding risks and economical driving) between 2000 and 2009 were examined by ANCOVA analysis. The competence of vehicle control decreased during the 10 years, while the other competences remained unchanged. The 18-year-old participants scored better than their older counterparts in vehicle control and economical driving. Nonprofessional participants scored better than driving school participants in vehicle control as well as in adaptation to traffic flow and planning. The participants’ low number of errors in the test of interpreting 50 still pictures related to competences other than vehicle control and adaptation to traffic flow and planning. Male participants’ scores were high in all competences. In addition, the uniformity of the candidate and examiner assessments was related to high scores in all competences.

Research highlights
► The successful Finnish driving test candidates’ competence of vehicle control decreased during the 10 years, while the other competences remained unchanged.
► The 18-year-old participants scored better than their older counterparts in vehicle control and economical driving.
► Nonprofessional participants scored better than driving school participants in vehicle control as well as in adaptation to traffic flow and planning.
► The participants’ low number of errors in the theory test (interpreting 50 still pictures) related to high scores of other competence but not the vehicle control and adaptation to traffic flow and planning.
► Male participants’ scores were higher than females’ in all competences.
► The uniformity of the candidate and examiner assessments (assessed by the examiners) was related to high scores in all competences.