TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS OF DRIVING RANGES

In this study different methods of training vehicle-control were compared. These methods resulted from a factorial combination of three variables: (1) driving range or public road; (2) with or without presence of an instructor in the car; (3) whole-day driving or twice a week. In total there were six conditions studied; two, in which trainees had to drive alone on the public road had to be left out. Results showed that driving range-training needed more time than public road training. Range-training resulted in better vehicle-control but in less efficient looking behaviour. Massed practice, i.e. whole-day driving, leads to better vehicle-control and better high-speed driving than distributed practice, i.e. driving twice a week. (TRRL)