Effect of Experience on Driving Performance in New Teenage Drivers
Condition: Learning
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the driving performance of new teenage drivers and determine to what
      extent independent driving experience improves driving performance of young drivers. Motor
      vehicle crash rates are highest among new teen drivers, especially during the first 6 months
      and 1,000 miles of independent licensed driving. Crash rates decline with experience, and
      this study will assess the effect of driving experience on performance.

      Newly licensed teenagers ranging from 16 years, 3 months to 17 years of age and experienced
      drivers 30 to 50 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates must be able to
      legally drive in the commonwealth of Virginia and have at least 20/40 correctable vision.

      Participants complete a questionnaire about their health and driving experience. They are
      then tested on a driving test track. Teens are tested within 3 weeks of obtaining their
      driver's license and before they have more than 100 miles of independent driving experience.
      They are tested a second time 6 to 12 months later and after they have more than 1,000 miles
      of driving experience. A group of experienced adult drivers are also tested to provide a
      comparison.

      The driving test is conducted on a smart road - a controlled, 2.2-mile two-lane research
      track at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. It is designed for safety, with
      restricted access, nothing for a vehicle to hit, carefully placed guardrails, and other
      safety features. The research vehicle is equipped with airbags, anti-lock brakes, and other
      safety equipment. It also has sensors and tiny video cameras to assess the behavior of the
      vehicle and the driver; this equipment does not interfere with the operation of the vehicle.

      An experimenter accompanies the driver and instructs him or her to perform routine driving
      skills, such as stopping, changing lanes and maintaining speed, as well as to other tasks
      such as inserting a CD into an entertainment console, having a conversation, and answering a
      cellular telephone call. The driver has an opportunity to practice the tasks before being
      tested.

      The driver's speed is limited to 35 mph or less during the experiment and the driver is
      required to wear seat belts and follow safe driving procedures. The experimenter is in the
      front passenger seat can stop the vehicle using a separate brake pedal.
    

Detailed description: 
      Motor vehicle crash rates are highest among novice teen drivers, especially during the first
      six months and 1000 miles of independent licensed driving. Crash rates decline with driving
      experience, however, no research has demonstrated learning effects on performance due to
      independent driving experience and the extent and variability in driving performance among
      novice young drivers has not been established. The purpose of this study is to assess the
      effect of driving experience on driving performance. We propose to use standard measures of
      driving performance under controlled experimental conditions on a driving test-track and
      vehicle designed for this purpose. Specifically, we propose to test the driving performance
      of a sample of teens within a few weeks after licensure while they are still relatively
      inexperienced drivers and again after greater than 6 months and 1000 miles of driving
      experience test their driving performance. A sample of experience adult drivers would be
      tested in similar fashion to provide an additional comparison group.
    

Keywords: Test Track; Distraction; Motor Vehicle; Learning; Inexperience