Cambs Drive iQ


Organisation: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership
Date uploaded: 20th June 2018
Date published/launched: October 2017


Analysis into collisions involving 16-24 year-old drivers by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership revealed a need to address ‘hazard perception, management of risk and responsibility as a driver and passenger’, without ‘risking overconfidence’.To combat this, the Partnership set out to implement a programme that would reach 10,000 students and help them improve their anticipation of danger and risk management, and to consider the issues of emotional response and being a responsible passenger.

Having identified from the evidence what the programme needed to achieve, the project team explored what was already in use across the country.

At the same time they also spoke to school staff to understand curriculum constraints, particularly in terms of time. From these discussions it became evident that the programme also needed to be flexible to adapt to each school or college’s different constraints.

Drive iQ, which has been running since 2010, was identified as an appropriate existing programme which could be tailored to Cambridgeshire’s needs.

Drive iQ is a free online education platform which puts novice and young drivers through potentially hazardous road scenarios in a virtual environment. It improves the skills often neglected by young drivers, such as anticipating danger and risk management.

To tackle issues relating to specific road types and routes in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area, clips were filmed locally for Cambs Drive iQ.

A route was drawn up to include some of the roads with high numbers of collisions – featuring specific risks such as being alongside water and with high volumes of cyclists – to try and cover as many locally relevant hazards as possible in the programme.

Approximately 120 clips were put together covering a range of local hazards that developed in the course of the filming.

Delivery is being tailored to the schools and colleges involved. After initial registration, pupils can undertake the modules as self-study, in tutor group time, or as a workshop led by the teacher or road safety professional. This flexibility is welcomed by the educational establishments.

A three-stage comparison study is being undertaken by Cranfield University as part of the programme. The first is undertaken prior to delivery; the second after 16 weeks or immediately post-completion (whichever comes first) and the third 13 weeks after the second questionnaire.

At the 2018 FirstCar Young Driver Road Safety Awards ceremony on 25 April, Cambs Drive iQ won the ‘Best Education and Training Initiative’ category and was highly commended in the ‘Best Partnership Scheme’ category.

Cambs Drive iQ was described by the judges as a ‘truly excellent programme’ which is ‘evidence based and real world orientated’.

https://www.roadsafetyknowledgecentre.org.uk/knowledge/358.html

For more information contact:
Matt Staton, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Road Safety Partnership

External links:

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