Evaluation of Graduated Driving Licence in the UK - Baseline Qualitative Study – User Guide

Persistent identifiers

10.17037/DATA.33

Description

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) schemes aim to reduce crash rates among young drivers by helping them to gradually build experience within a supportive environment. The introduction of a proposed GDL scheme in one country of the UK (Northern Ireland) provides an opportunity to determine the impact that these schemes have upon wellbeing outcomes by comparing crash rates and other outcomes before and after the intervention in the exposed population (Northern Ireland) and non-exposed population (other countries of the UK).

This collection contains baseline qualitative data captured prior to the introduction of the proposed GDL scheme in Northern Ireland.  It contains transcripts of 21 focus (natural) group interviews conducted with young adults aged 16-22 or their parents from Northern Ireland, England and Wales. Topics covered include the role of driving, giving and taking lifts, the local transport system and alternatives to driving.

Data collection methods

The study applied a purposive sampling method. First, recruitment areas in Northern Ireland were selected by identifying rural and urban settings with varying area deprivation.  Areas (Middle Super Output Areas) in England and Wales were subsequently selected with similar rates of road traffic injury. This was achieved by identifying injury rates for each areas and selecting those which include non-metropolitan areas of England Wales with varying deprivation levels and transport infrastructures. Recruitment was through gatekeepers including community groups (e.g. youth clubs) and snowballing from existing contacts. Group interviews used ‘natural groups’ where possible.

Data analysis and preparation

Group interviews were digitally recorded by the research team and sent to a professional service for transcription. Transcripts were checked and cleaned by the research team.

Geographic regions

Northern Ireland, England, Wales

Key dates

Data were collected between May and November 2015, and cleaned over December 2015.

Quality Controls

Group interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed professionally, checked by project team and anonymised by a Research Assistant.

Population

Human population

Privacy

All personal and place names have been deleted from transcripts (apart from capital cities and generic names); other details which may be identifying have also been removed (e.g. unusual activities).  The final part of postcodes on the Excel spreadsheet has been removed.

All participants gave their permission for the transcripts to be archived in an anonymised form for use in future research.

Ethics

The study was approved by the LSHTM Ethics Committee, reference 9742.

Keywords

Transport; driving; young adults; road injury

Language of written material

English

Data access conditions

These data are primarily designed to be used in a comparative study of GDL implementation in NI. As this is unlikely to be feasible until around 2 -3 years post-implementation, when sufficient road safety data are available (2017/8 at the earliest), it is not known who will do that evaluation. These data will therefore be made accessible to anyone funded to do that evaluation.

Access to data files may be granted for secondary analysis. All other files are public access.

Project information

Creators

File Description

Demographic Information Summary

Interview Transcripts

• All place and personal names (apart from large cities) and other identifying information removed.
• Interviewer and participant turns are indicated by I, M, F respectively.
• Location (eg country/county) and IMD of the area (not the participants’ postcode) is indicated in the transcript.