Advanced Driver Training’s Impact on Teen Driver Skills

Abstract

Standard driver education in the United States focuses on basic skills and the knowledge needed to pass licensure examinations. Newly licensed teen drivers are at high risk of crashes and death. To date, few interventions have addressed advanced driving skills that are not taught in typical driver education programs. We investigated the effect of a single day advanced driver training course on crash-avoidance skills. We enrolled 785 teens in a controlled quasi-experimental trial of advanced driver training (ADT: “intervention group”) versus a waitlist comparison group. The ADT consisted of 2 h of classroom education and repeated execution, with instruction and feedback, of four driving skill drills on a controlled, closed course. The comparison group performed each drill once per assessment, with only basic instruction. We measured their ability to successfully execute the driving skill drills (i.e., slalom, wet braking and steering, emergency lane change, and spin avoidance) on the day of the ADT and 3 to 6 months after the baseline skills assessment. The intervention group improved more than the comparison group, particularly in the spin avoidance skills, including spin avoidance, keeping the car on the course, and maintaining an appropriate speed during the drill. Further exploration of the ADT concept as an improvement to driver education and safety is warranted.