Health Sciences

Centre for Ergonomics and Human Factors

Driver Behaviour, Performance Testing & Road Safety

Current Projects

"Occupational Therapy On-Road Driver Assessment".

PhD thesis research by Marilyn Di Stefano under the supervision of Wendy Macdonald, with partial funding from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, in cooperation with the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre

"The development of hazard perception skills in novice drivers".

PhD thesis research by Gillian Evans under the supervision of Wendy Macdonald.

Contract Research & Consultancy Projects In This Area

• 'Options paper' on methods of improving the road safety benefits of the driver licensing system
• Critical review of driver testing and licensing
• A major component of a multidisciplinary research project on young driver accidents
• Specification of novice driver competencies, with implications for training and licensing
• Disabled drivers test procedures
• Research to evaluate current knowledge and make recommendations concerning changes to the driver licensing system
• Review of research literature on various road safety issues
• Evaluation of current methods of assessing drivers with disabilities for the purpose of driver licensing

Reports On Related Topics

• Macdonald, W., Pellerito, J. and Di Stefano, M. (2005). Introduction to Driver Rehabilitation and Community Mobility. In Joseph M Pellerito (Ed),  Driver Rehabilitation and Community Principles and Practice, pp.3-22. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
• Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2005). On-the-Road Evaluation of Driving Performance. In Joseph M Pellerito (Ed),  Driver Rehabilitation and Community Principles and Practice, pp.255-274. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
• Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2005). Advanced Strategies for On-Road Driver Rehabilitation and Training. In Joseph M Pellerito (Ed),  Driver Rehabilitation and Community Principles and Practice, pp.297-308. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
• Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2005). In-Vehicle Intelligent Transport Systems. In Joseph M Pellerito (Ed),  Driver Rehabilitation and Community Principles and Practice, pp.373-389. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 2003. Assessment of older drivers: relationships between on-road errors, medical conditions and test outcome. Journal of Safety Research, 34, 415-429.
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 2003. Intelligent transport systems and occupational therapy practice. Occupational Therapy International, 10(1), 56-74.
• Evans, T. and Macdonald, W. 2002. The nature of novice drivers' situation awareness: an exploratory study. Proceedings of the 2002 Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Adelaide, South Australia. ISBN 1-876346-46-9. Causal Productions
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 2002. Factors predicting driver errors on the VicRoads 'Review' test for older drivers. Proceedings of the 2002 Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference, Adelaide, S.A. ISBN 1-876346-46-9. Causal Productions.
• Clipsham, J. and Macdonald, W. 2002 Fleet Safety: La Trobe University - a case study. Proceedings of Safe Roads: Turning Plans Into Actions. Local Road Safety Conference, Melbourne, July 16-17.
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 2001. Occupational Therapy On-Road Assessment Driver errors: Implications for Recording and Scoring, Occupational Therapy Australia National Conference, Canberra, A.C.T.
• Di Stefano, M. and W. Macdonald (1999). Occupational therapy driver evaluations: on-road assessment practice. Occupational Therapy Australia: National Conference, Canberra, Australia.
• Macdonald, Wendy A. 1998 Driving Competencies for Learner Drivers (58pp). VicRoads RUB97/98-13, Melbourne
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 1998 Survey of Australian Occupational Therapists to determine disabled driver on-road assessment practice. In Sharing a Global Perspective, Proceedings of 12th International Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, Montreal, Canada, May 31 - June 5, 1998, Edited by Pollock, N. et al, Montreal, Canada
• Catchpole, J.E., Macdonald, W.A. and Cairney, P.T. (1997). Skill deficits and motivational factors in accidents involving young drivers. Paper presented to Australian College of Road Safety Conference on Young Drivers, Parliament House, Sydney, N.S.W., 30 April 1997
• Di Stefano, M. and Macdonald, W. 1997 On the road again - the complexity of assessing the functionally impaired driver. In Productivity, Ergonomics and Safety: the total package. Proceedings of the 33rd Ergonomics Society of Australia Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, 24-27 November 1997. ACT: Ergonomics Society of Australia Inc.
• Catchpole, J.E, and Macdonald, W.A. (1996) The influence of youthfulness and inexperience on driving behaviour and crashes. Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Injury Prevention and Control, Melbourne, 167-176
• Catchpole, J.E, and Macdonald, W.A. (1995) The influence of youthfulness and inexperience on driving behaviour and crashes. Proceedings of 31st Annual Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Australia, Adelaide, 167-176
• Di Iorio, M. and Macdonald, W.A. (1994) An analysis of the need for driving assessment of the psychiatrically ill. Paper to the Annual convention of the Victorian Association of Occupational Therapists
• Catchpole, J.E, Macdonald, W.A. and Bowland, J. (1994) Young Driver Program: The influence of age-related and experience-related factors on reported driving behaviour and crashes. Monash University Accident Research Centre Federal Office of Road Safety Report CR143, Canberra
• Catchpole, J.E, Cairney, P.T. and Macdonald, W.A. (1994) Why are young drivers over-represented in traffic accidents? Australian Road Research Board. Special Report No. SR 50, Australian Road Research Board
• Macdonald, W.A. (1994) A review of information on young driver crashes. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Federal Office of Road Safety Report CR128, Canberra
• Macdonald, W.A. (1994) A review of information on young driver performance characteristics and capacities. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Federal Office of Road Safety Report CR129, Canberra
• Bowland, L., Macdonald, W.A. and Hancock, A. (1994) Mass Crash Data Analysis. Overview of results from mass crash database analyses: Australia and USA. Monash University Accident Research Centre, Federal Office of Road Safety Report CR131 (11), Canberra
• Macdonald, W.A. and Scott, T. (1993) Disabled Driver Test Procedures. Report to the Federal Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, Canberra
• Macdonald, W.A. (1992) Driver performance capacity evaluation: conditions necessary for reliability. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Australia, Melbourne, 108-115
• Macdonald, W.A., Bowland, L. and Triggs, T.J. (1992) Evaluation of Driver Testing and Licensing in Victoria. Monash University Accident Research Centre Report 24, Monash University
• Macdonald, W.A., Griffith, J., Gregory, S. and Jones, G. (1992) Performance capacity evaluation of head-injured drivers: an investigation of the validity of some off-road tests. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Australia, Melbourne, 92-99
• Macdonald, W.A. (1992) Performance capacity evaluation: some comments on its validity. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference of the Ergonomics Society of Australia, Melbourne, 189-196
• Macdonald, W.A. and Hoffmann, E.R. (1991). Drivers' awareness of traffic sign information. Ergonomics, 34, 5, 585-612
• Macdonald, W.A. (1987) Driving performance measures and licence tests: a literature review. Report CR 57, Federal Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport and Communications, Canberra
• Macdonald, W.A. (1985) A critical review of the relationship between human factors and road crashes. Report CR39 Federal Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, Canberra
• Macdonald, W.A. and Hoffmann, E.R. (1980) A review of the relationship between steering wheel reversal rate and driving task demand. Human Factors, 22, 6, 733-739