Driving school students' training with the use of module close to - as a method contributing to change in young drivers' attitude and reducing the number of road accident with their participation in Europe

The aim of the paper is to present the European Project "MODULE CLOSE TO". The project is executed in eleven European Union countries. The paper describes main objectives and guidelines of the project. The project's main result in the final stage should be the development of conditions for unification of drivers''training system across Europe by introducing into drivers' training new educational module. The module consists in realization of educational method called "peer-to-peer" during drivers' training, which is taken from addiction treatment prevention in which a peer reports on a problem to another peer. In drivers' training, the course participants are confronted with road accident offenders (course participants' peers) and their stories, which should lead to positive changes in attitudes and behaviours of young, beginning drivers and therefore to permanent reduction in number of both road accidents and their victims. The preliminary research confirmed that classes with road accident offenders have a positive influence on developing proper attitudes of young drivers. A discussion concentrated on offender, his/her susceptibility to risky behaviours, accident's circumstances, confrontation with its consequences and on serving an adjudged sentence makes an impression on young course participants. The project anticipates introduction of pilot classes in driving schools, high schools, etc. within the framework of drivers' training with participation of road accident offenders and also evaluation of its influence on course participants. The final effect of the project will be the development of conditions for introducing a new educational module into existing drivers' training system as well as developing conditions for recruiting accident offenders and actions motivating them to join the project realization.