Skilled maneuvering: Evaluation of a young driver advanced training program

Abstract

Background: Young drivers (YDs) are disproportionately injured and killed in motor vehicle crashes throughout the United States. Nationally, YDs aged 16 to 20 years constituted nearly 9% of all traffic-related fatalities in 2018. A Nevada Advanced Driver Training (ADT) program for YDs aims to reduce YD traffic injuries and fatalities through four modules taught by professional drivers. The program modules include classroom-based didactic lessons and hands-on driving exercises intended to improve safe driving knowledge and behaviors. The overarching purpose of this study was to determine if the Nevada ADT program achieved its objectives for improving safe driving knowledge and behaviors based on program-provided data. A secondary purpose of this study was to provide recommendations to improve program efficiency, delivery, and evaluation. The findings of this study would serve as a basis to develop and evaluate future ADT interventions.

Methods: The exploratory mixed methods outcome evaluation used secondary data collected during three weekend events in December 2018 and March 2019. The study population consisted of high school students with a driver's license or learner's permit. Pretests/posttests and preevent questionnaires on student driving history were matched and linked via personal identifiers. The pretests/posttests measured changes in knowledge of safe driving behaviors. This study used descriptive statistics, dependent samples t test, Pearson's r correlation coefficient, and χ2 (McNemar's test) with significance set at p = 0.05, 95% confidence interval. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS version 24 (Armonk, NY). Qualitative data analysis consisted of content and thematic analysis.

Results: Responses from YD participants (N = 649) were provided for analysis. Aggregate YD participant knowledge of safe driving behaviors increased from a mean of 43.9% (pretest) to 74.9% (posttest).

Conclusion: The program achieved its intended outcomes of improving safe driving knowledge and behaviors among its target population.

Level of evidence: Prognostic/Epidemiologic, Level V.