Risk Assessment of Traffic Accidents Involving Young Adult Drivers by Identification of Subjective and Objective Factors

Abstract

Young drivers represent the most vulnerable age group at risk of participating in traffic accidents. In order to reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents involving young drivers, various models for assessing the risk of accidents have been studied. Inexperience, lack of driving skills and risky behaviour in traffic are the main characteristics of traffic accidents involving young adult drivers. On the contrary, traffic accidents involving older adult drivers are characterised by reduced visual and cognitive stimuli and reduced mobility. Based on the data about traffic accidents from the available databases relevant for road traffic safety in the Republic of Kosovo over a four-year period, the road characteristics that caused the majority of traffic accidents involving young adult drivers and the subjective and objective factors that affected the occurrence of traffic accidents the most have been defined. To conclude the research, a correlation has been defined between objective and subjective factors that increase the risk of traffic accidents, as well as the frequency of single safety factors (human, vehicle, road and environment) in traffic accidents involving young adult drivers.