Learning to drive safely: Social-cognitive responses are predictive of performance rated by novice drivers and their instructors An Victoir a, * , Audrey Eertmans a , Omer Van den Bergh a , Stephan Van den Broucke a,b a Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat 102, B3000 Leuven, Belgium b Flemish Institute for Health Promotion, G. Schildknechtstraat 9, B1020 Brussels, Belgium Received 5 August 2004; received in revised form 14 January 2005; accepted 16 January 2005 Abstract In this study, novice driversÕ safe driving performance was investigated in a prospective design. Driving performance during a 1 1/2 h driving session was rated both by the drivers and their instructors. The results indicated that a model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour predicted both self-reported performance (50% of variance in general assessments and 33% of variance in estimates of driving errors/violations explained) and instructorsÕ general assessments (17% variance explained). InstructorsÕ assessments of driv- ing errors and violations committed during the session was the only outcome not successfully explained by the model (0% variance explained). The results indicate that self-reports on behavioural criteria are not without merit in tests concerning the contribution of social-cognitive determinants to safe driving. Self-effi- cacy emerged as the main predictor of performance. Interventions targeting novice drivers, could therefore emphasize mastery experiences in order to facilitate safe driving behaviour. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Novice drivers; Self-ratings; Observer ratings; Self-efficacy; Theory of Planned Behaviour 1369-8478/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.trf.2005.01.002 * Corresponding author. Address: Research Group for Stress, Health and Wellbeing, Tiensestraat 102, B3000 Leuven, Belgium. Tel.: +32 16 32 59 94; fax: +32 16 32 60 55. E-mail address: an.victoir@psy.kuleuven.ac.be (A. Victoir). www.elsevier.com/locate/trf Transportation Research Part F 8 (2005) 59–74