This report of the ATP Young Drivers Study is the product of a collaborative partnership between the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) of Victoria.

The collaboration commenced in 2002 when the RACV and TAC commissioned the Institute to collect and analyse data concerning the nature and development of driving behaviour among a large group of Victorian young adults (aged 19-20 years) who were participating in the Australian Temperament Project (ATP).

The RACV and TAC worked in close partnership with the Institute during all phases of the project, including the preparation of measurement instruments, determining the nature of the analyses undertaken, the interpretation of study findings, and the preparation of this report.

This report provides valuable new information relating to young adults’ own reported driving behaviour and their experiences when learning to drive, as well as providing a detailed examination of factors, past and present, which may have contributed to their current driving behaviour.

It is hoped that this information will be used to increase understanding of the factors that place a young person at risk of becoming involved in a crash, committing traffic violations, and/or engaging in “risky” driving practices and, in turn, inform road safety programs aimed at preventing young people from engaging in potentially dangerous driving behaviours. Research concerning young novice drivers is now briefly reviewed.