Abstract

MARTOS, Francisco J; ROA, José Mª  and  F. TORTOSA, Luis Montoro. Re-examined drivers: Significant deterioration on knowledge of drivers over time. rev.latinoam.psicol. [online]. 2012, vol.44, n.3, pp.83-94. ISSN 0120-0534.

Two thousand and five drivers, 1204 men and 801 women, a representative sample of the Spanish drivers, were re-examined using a questionnaire that faithfully reproduced a driving test conducted by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT). Items were classified as "very important", "important" and "unimportant." 96.5% of drivers did not pass the test. The results were much worse the more time had elapsed since obtaining the driving license. These results were independent of the importance of the items, the greater or lesser frequency of driving and applied equally to men and women. Women perform better signalling while men are better at questions of road safety. Results also showed that the loss of knowledge was lower in those drivers who had higher education training and professional drivers. The results lead us to consider the relationship that these data may have on levels of accidents and the desirability of establishing guidelines for updating the knowledge of the drivers. Finally, the relevance of the test used to obtain a driver's license as an indicator or predictor of safe driving is discussed.

Keywords : Driver Education; Drivers; Forgetting; Memory Decay; Procedural Knowledge; Declarative Knowledge.

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