An Evaluation of a Web-based Intervention Program for Parents and Teens to Promote Safe Driving

Not Applicable

Completed

Brief Summary: The long-term goal of this research is to increase safe driving among novice teen drivers by increasing the quantity, quality and diversity of driving practice while accompanied by an adult. In order to achieve the long term goal of the study, the investigators have developed a web-based intervention program known as Teen Driving Plan (TDP) intended to support high quality driving practice.

Detailed Description: Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death among teens in the United States. Teen drivers (ages 16 to 19) are four times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than adult drivers (ages 25 to 69). Inexperience is a fundamental factor in the high crash rate for novice teens. Safe and skilled driving is a complex task that involves behaviors (e.g., skills and actions) that vary and become increasingly challenging with increasing speed, unsafe road conditions and other hazards of the driving environment. Because teens are at their lowest lifetime risk of crashing when accompanied by an adult, adult-supervised practice provides a safe way for teens to gain needed experience under a variety of driving conditions. Unfortunately, few teens receive sufficient quantity, quality and diversity of adult-supervised practice prior to licensure.

The objective of the proposed research is to compare how the driving training process and the results of that training process differ between a group of young learning permit holders in families that have access to TDP (the intervention group) from the training process and the results of that process in an otherwise similar group of teens in families with no TDP access (the control group). The investigators hypothesize that teens given access to TDP will demonstrate greater competence and safety in a standardized on-road driving assessment than teens with no TDP access.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Teen 16 or 17 years of age who holds a Pennsylvania (PA) learner permit, or plans to obtain a learner permit in < 1 month.
Parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of a teen with his or her learner permit.
Internet connection at home and other technical requirements to launch web program if needed.

Exclusion Criteria

Non-English speaking.
Teen has practiced more than 5 hours behind the wheel or has taken more than 5 practice drives with a supervising adult prior to enrollment.
Teen has received formal behind-the-wheel driver education instruction prior to enrollment with a certified driving instructor at a professional driver education company or in his/her school.
Pregnant female teen subjects.
Teen requires handicapped placard or license plate in order to drive.

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Teen Driving Plan	Teen driving plan	Access to web-based driving intervention

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Late Driving Performance in On-road Assessment (ODA) Test	24 weeks after enrollment	The primary outcome was driving performance as measured by the teens completion of the standardized and validated ODA 24 weeks after enrollment. Certified professional driving evaluators blinded to randomization status terminated the ODA if they determined that the teen could not safely complete it. Criteria for termination included: (1) a driver action or inaction requiring evaluator intervention to prevent a collision; (2) a driving task requiring assistance from the evaluator to be performed safely; (3) violation of a traffic law; (4) evasive action needed by another vehicle or a pedestrian to avoid a collision; or (5) a subjective assessment by the evaluator that the teenager could not continue safely. We examined the teens ability to complete the ODA as measured by the number of terminations.

Secondary Outcome Measures