Michigan Driver Education Study
Condition: Behavioral Intervention
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 3

Summary: 
      Teens are at high risk for traffic violations and car crashes because of their young age,
      lack of driving experience, and exposure to high-risk driving conditions. The Checkpoints
      Program has used increased parental restrictions on teen driving through at least the first 4
      months after their children obtain a driver's permit.

      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Checkpoints Program.

      Approximately 400 teens in Michigan will participate in one of two study groups. One group
      will take standard driver education classes; the other group will take driver education
      classes that incorporate the Checkpoints Program. Teens and their parents will complete a
      written survey after completing the classes and a telephone survey after teens obtain a
      driver's permit. Teens will complete additional telephone surveys 1, 3, 6, and 12 months
      after obtaining a driver's permit. Researchers will use this information to study how parents
      manage teen driving practices, teen driving experiences (amount and conditions of), and
      high-risk teen driving behaviors.
    

Detailed description: 
      Teens are at high risk for traffic violations and motor vehicle crashes because of their
      young age, lack of driving experience, and exposure to high-risk driving conditions. Crash
      risk is greatest during the first two years of driving, and especially elevated during the
      first months of driving. Increasing parent involvement is becoming an important target of
      young driver education; however, little attention has been devoted to parental management of
      teen driving after teen licensure. Increased parental management of teen driving could reduce
      the risk of serious injury during the first months of driving and establish clear
      expectations for their teens' safe driving thereafter. In two randomized trials, the
      Checkpoints Program has been demonstrated to increase parental restrictions on teen driving
      through at least four months post-licensure. In this proposed research, we will evaluate the
      efficacy of the Checkpoints Program as applied to driver education. The purpose of this study
      is to assess the extent to which exposure to the Checkpoints Program during driver education
      classes in Michigan results in increased restrictions on young drivers during the first year
      of provisional licensure. The design is a randomized trial in which 24-30 commercial driver
      education classes will be randomly assigned to be either standard driver education or driver
      education that integrates the Checkpoints Program, Approximately 400 teens enrolled in driver
      education and one of their parents will be recruited and will complete written surveys at
      baseline and telephone surveys one month after teens obtained provisional licenses. Teens
      will complete additional telephone surveys one, three, six, and 12 months after provisional
      licensure. Study outcomes include parent management practices of teen driving, teen driving
      experience including the amount and conditions of driving during the first 12 months of
      licensure, and teen risky driving behaviors.
    

Intervention name(s): Driver Education
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Injury; Motor Vehicle; Parenting; Randomized Trial; Behavioral Intervention