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'Close To' – Peer Training of Learner Drivers by Offenders in Austria

Performance Indicators

In Austria more than 10,000 learner drivers have already participated in Close To in the period from May 2008 to March 2011. More than 370 training sessions have been delivered by peer trainers in driving schools, military facilities, companies, training centres and schools. It is intended that the number of training sessions will increase to 570 in 2011.

An evaluation of the project by the organisation Mobility Research Society (Forschungsgesellschaft Mobilität) shows that the project has a significant impact on the behaviour of learner drivers. It interviewed 1448 learner drivers from 40 driving schools in Austria, just after they left the driving schools and then interviewed 330 of them again by phone 3-12 months after the training. The control group included 663 learners driver, of which 262 were interviewed twice. More than 93% of interviewed learner drivers said that the peer trainers had won their attention. More than 86% thought that the peer training had made them aware of the risks of road traffic. 89 % suggested that they will drive more carefully in the future as a result of Close To. On the other hand, learner drivers in the control group, who had not participated in Close To, tended to exhibit much more risky behaviours.

The responses of the interviewed learner drivers also provide evidence on the sustainability of the co-production approach. 80% of the learner drivers could remember details of the story they had heard from their peer trainer – including even details of the fines paid by and prison sentences served by the offender, and the number of people who were injured. 72% of learner drivers indicated 3-12 months after their participation in the Close To project that their driving behaviour had been influenced by the presentation of the peer trainer.

About this case study
Main Contact

Robert Lang

Forschungsgesellschaft Mobilität FGM

Tel: +43 316810451 - 80

Email: Lang@fgm.at

Webhttp://www.fgm.at

Andreas Pawelke provided Governance International with this case study on 22 June 2011.

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