Victoria’s Motorcycle Licensing Program Essay Example for Free

Victoria’s Motorcycle Licensing Program Essay Within the past year, there have been 332 fatalities in Victoria; fourteen percent of this number is composed of motorcyclists, of which only seven percent carry a motorcycle driver’s license, according to the Transport Accident Commission’s most recent annual road toll (2008). The same source lists the following as the most usual causes of motorcycle crash accidents; drunk driving, driver fatigue, and speeding which are violations to the fairly basic road safety regulations that drivers are expected to know before being given a driver’s license. However, in this case, it appears that there is a need to re-assess Victoria’s current licensing program to answer the question: Is the current process for obtaining a motorcycle driver’s license in Victoria effective in promoting road safety? This proposal will be presented according to an Evaluation Plan template (Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, n. d. ) which lists the following elements necessary in a successful program evaluation: a background of the program; a specification of the evaluation’s purpose; an outline of the limitations, ethical considerations, and decisions which the evaluation would affect; a list of evaluation questions expanding on the research question; and lastly a rationale of the methodology and sampling techniques that will be used. Background In 1938, the rising road toll in Victoria spurred the state to form a separate entity which would govern road safety management it was set back because of WWII but was picked up afterwards. This eventually led to the formation of VicRoads in 1989. At present, VicRoads is in charge of â€Å"Victoria’s arterial road network, implement road safety strategies and programs and provide vehicle registration† and providing the state with a driver licensing service (VicRoads, 2008). According to their website, the following requirements need to be fulfilled in order to qualify for a motorcycle license: 1. must be at least 18 years old 2. has a current learner’s permit for at least 3 months 3. has passed the eyesight test, motorcycle license skills assessment, and hazard perception test VicRoads currently employs 2700 people overseeing these functions. Purpose For the purpose of assessing the efficiency of Victoria’s current motorcycle licensing program a process-based evaluation â€Å"geared to fully understanding how it [program] works† (McNamaran, n. d. ), is the most logical choice. According to Rossi (1999): â€Å"Program process evaluation is a form of evaluation designed to describe how a program is operating and assess how well it performs its intended functions. It builds on program process theory which identifies the critical components, functions, and relationships assumed necessary for the program to be effective (p. 89). † Michael Quinn Patton’s Utilization Focused Evaluation Checklist (2002) would also be used as a guideline for program assessment, evaluator assessment, and identification of users which would also determine respondent sampling. The aim for this evaluation is to address the need for improving the licensing program as a tool for eliminating road risks caused by preventable human errors like driving under the influence coupled with or resulting in speeding and lack of physical control over vehicles. By delving into the process of licensing, program strengths and weaknesses may be specified. Limitations It is recognized that there are other factors contributing to the dangers associated with motorcycle driving. Assessing the licensing program merely gives us a place to start since the responsibility for determining who is fit to be behind the wheel on Victorian roads falls on license evaluators and service providers like VicRoads. It would also be difficult to achieve a completely objective assessment of the program since the methods suggested in the gathering of data will primarily be from observation and survey or interview questions which are largely subject to interpretation. Gathering a sample pool consisting of license test takers, evaluators, and licensed drivers would also be a challenge given the area of Victoria, the number of licensing centers, and the mobility of test takers. It will be of great importance to preserve an objective and unbiased perspective while conducting the evaluation to ensure the greatest reliability and validity possible. A method for data gathering would also be designed to allow other evaluators who wish to test the resulting data to replicate the exact methodology used. Ethics All participants in the evaluation would be promptly informed of the purposes of the evaluation. They would also have the option for anonymity if they wish to opt for such. Personal information would be kept under strict confidentiality. If a respondent wishes to discontinue or terminate participation at any time during the process evaluation, they have every right to do so as well. Details of the methods, expected results, and projected date of completion would be provided to all respondents. Before any interview, survey, or observation takes place, a consent form would be reviewed and signed by the respondent first. Permission for observation and data gathering would also be secured from VicRoads. Process evaluators would be instructed to keep all information VicRoads wishes to keep private confidential and would not be released to the public without written permission and consent from VicRoads. Decisions That Might Be Affected by This Evaluation’s Results Revisions to the current processes might result if the evaluation findings point to inefficiencies to the current processes and procedures or if an apparent dissatisfaction with the program is discovered. Both favorable and unfavorable outcomes are expected. For example, stricter implementations for restricting drivers with debilitating medical conditions might be taken by the community as a discrimination against disabled residents but educating the community against its possible dangers will most probably be taken reasonably. Explaining that an old man with poor eyesight poses a risk to pedestrians and other motorists when given license to drive on the road should be fairly easy to comprehend. It will also be a good venue for researchers and product developers to look into redesigning vehicles which more are forgiving to drivers would certain medical conditions and would enable them to continue driving without risking themselves or the community. Perhaps more frequent license renewal or application for ex-drink drivers and speeders who previously already had their license suspended or revoked should reduce the state’s problems with drink driving and speeding by making it particularly tedious or expensive to regain their right to driving on the road. This should of course be in collaboration with the states penalties for violators who drive without licenses. Evaluation Questions To give more definition to our research question about the effectiveness and efficiency of Victoria’s motorcycle licensing program, more specific questions have been listed below. The process evaluation aims to answer the following questions: 1. Since the implementation of Victoria’s motorcycle licensing program, has the number of the states motorcycle fatalities been lowered? 2. Do the tests and requirements for getting a motorcycle driver’s license prepare prospective drivers for Victorian roads by educating them of the state’s road regulations and road safety rules? 3. Are the current tests enough in screening a driver’s road competency? 4. The current tests are mostly skills assessment, shouldn’t there be a test designed to predict a driver’s emotional and intellectual stability that would screen out would-be drink drivers and speeders? How would license test takers react? 5. Are the tests objective, reliable, valid, and consistent? How does the current process prevent bias from affecting results? Are the same procedures followed for all centers and applied for each individual? 6. Do license test takers view the program as necessary? Do they approve of the process or are there improvements they would like to see made? Methodology Given the nature of the evaluation, the following methods will be used in the collection and gathering of data: acquiring statistical figures, implementing surveys and questionnaires, interviews, and first-hand observation. Acquiring statistical data about the number of motorcycle fatalities since 1989 when the licensing program was first implemented would be interpreted to determine if the program has been effective in lowering the states road toll. It would also determine what percentage of said fatalities is attributable to lack of education or human error. Surveys and questionnaires would be used for gathering personal information from license test takers especially on their opinions of the program’s relevance and effectiveness. It would also be used to ask for suggestions for improvement from the program’s end users. Interviews with the license evaluator in each of VicRoads’ licensing facilities would be done to acquire more insight to the actual process from the clients’ point of view. It also aims to get the license evaluator’s personal experiences and opinions regarding the licensing process. Lastly, on-site observations would be implemented to see the program in action first-hand. It will be used to evaluate the program’s reliability, validity, consistency, and objectivity. It will determine if there are differences in the practice between centers which would greatly affect a license test takers results. It would also try to measure effectiveness and see if the process is implemented as intended. Sample Choosing respondents would be done randomly for the test takers and licensed drivers. For license evaluators, however, since their number is relatively smaller than that of the license takers and drivers, the aim is to correspond with each evaluator in all of the licensing centers or if this is not possible, to interview with as many evaluators as permitted by the resources. Letters will be sent out to randomly selected licensed drivers with survey questionnaires attached. Instructions for sending responses back would also be detailed in the letter. For survey questions where the respondent’s answers are vague or unspecified, a call would be made for clarification. The aim for the sample population of license test takers should at least be thirty percent of the total number of test takers in the same time it takes to complete an application for a license up to the actual claiming of a motorcycle driver’s license. These respondents should be a healthy representation of each stage of the process: those who are about to apply for a license, those who are in the process of acquiring a license, and those who are there claiming their actual license. Survey Questions for Both License Test Takers and Licensed Drivers Not all questions need to be answered. Respondents would be asked to answer only questions which apply to them. 1. How do you rate the requirements needed for licensing? Do you think they are necessary and reasonable? 2. With the preparation you’ve been given before, after, and during the test, would you say you are confident with your driving competency? 3. Were you properly educated of the state’s road regulations and safety rules? 4. How would you react if the state required you to undergo psychological testing to measure your emotional and intellectual stability before granting you a motorcycle license? 5. Do you believe the test is fair and unbiased? If not, what led you to say so? 6. Is the licensing program contributing to the decrease in the number of crash fatalities? What would you suggest for improvements? Interview Questions for License Evaluators 1. How would you rate the program’s effectiveness? Is there anything you wish to improve? 2. How do you make sure that your basis for approving or denying an individual his motorcycle driver’s license is free from bias and is reliable and valid? Follow-up questions depending on the respondent’s answers would also be used to gain depth in the answer. Observation Guidelines 1. Compare the processes from center to center. Enumerate the steps and determine if there are delineations from the prescribed process. 2. Compare the implementation of tests for each individual test taker. Is everyone undergoing identical tests and procedures? 3. Pay attention to the interaction between the test taker and the evaluator. Does their relationship affect the license test result? Timeline The projected completion date for this process evaluation is six months, enough to cover all centers and complete the data gathering. Within the said time frame an analysis of data would be passed along with a prescription for action. The timeline should go as follows: †¢ Definition of evaluation plan and design †¢ State permission and random sample pool †¢ Simultaneous interviews, surveys, and observations †¢ Analysis of data †¢ Prescription for a plan of action References Davidson, E. J. (2004. ) Evaluation methodology basics: The nuts and bolts of sound evaluation. Sage. Retrieved on September 1, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://books. google. com/books? id=ePfuba9tDbECprintsec=frontcoverdq=evaluation+methodologysig=ACfU3U2xBnA9EO2s1nLt8by60FdZmv3y1g#PPR7,M1 Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology. (n. d. ) Evaluation plan template. Retrieved on September 1, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://it. coe. uga. edu ~treeves/edit8350/EPT. html Mcnamara, C. (n. d. ). Basic guide to program evaluation. Free Management Library. Retrieved on September 1, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. managementhelp. org/ evaluatn/fnl_eval. htm#anchor1575679 Patton, M. Q. (2002). Utilization-focused evaluations checklist. Evaluation Checklist Project. Retrieved on September 1, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www. wmich. edu/ evalctr/checklists/ufe. pdf Rossi, P. H. , H. E. Freeman, et al. (1999). Evaluation: a systematic approach (6th ed. ). Thousand Oaks, Calif, Sage Publications Chapter 6