Driver Education Research Study (DRIVER)

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Injuries; Risk Reduction Behavior; Development, Adolescent; Accident, Traffic

Treatments: Behavioral: Online Vehicle and Driver Safety Education; Behavioral: Behind-the-Wheel Driver Training; Behavioral: Online Driver Skills Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT06413927

1R01HD108249-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

21-019445

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will test the effectiveness of different types of driver training interventions for reducing young new driver crash risk early after licensure.

Full description

Motor vehicle crashes remain high in young drivers, despite graduated driver licensing laws that put restrictions on driving and delay licensure. Typically, data trends show that crash risk is highest right after licensure, in the early months of independent driving. Additional studies of different driver training interventions have shown some evidence that it is possible to improve skills and reduce crashes early in licensure for young drivers. However, Pennsylvania and many other states have no professional training requirements for young drivers.

This study will test the effectiveness of different types of driver training programs for reducing young new driver crash risk early after licensure.

Up to 1,200 adolescent learner drivers in Pennsylvania will be recruited for this trial (to get up to 1,000 evaluable participants). Participants will be recruited through Primary Care Clinics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and from the surrounding community to take part in a study that will continue through the learner phase and for 6 months after licensure. Participants will give informed consent and be asked to complete some baseline surveys and cognitive tasks, and a virtual driving assessment in-person during a clinical or other visit. All will receive care-as-usual.

Participants will also be followed through the learner phase with a smartphone app that monitors driving trips and monthly surveys that can be completed at home. In the learner phase, participants will randomly receive one of three interventions. One group of participants will receive professional behind-the-wheel training with a local driving school instructor. Another group will receive a modern online driver training course. Another group will receive an online vehicle and driver safety education. Participants randomly assigned to the behind-the-wheel training group will be required to download and use an app to log and track their driving practice hours. Use of this app will be optional for participants randomly assigned to the other groups.

After the learner phase, participants will be given an online hazard skills test, online surveys, and second virtual driving assessment, and state license examination and will be followed for 6 months after licensure, with online surveys at 2, 4, and 6 months after licensure, and with continued driver trip monitoring through the smartphone app.

Enrollment: 1,300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 17 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adolescents ages 16-17 years old who reside in Pennsylvania
• Have an active Pennsylvania learner's permit
• Have <30 hours of driving practice during permit phase
• Have never taken an on-road licensing exam, in any state
• Plan to get a license within the next 12 months in Pennsylvania
• Plan to have access to a vehicle to drive after licensure
• Have a personal cell phone and access to a smartphone/tablet/computer with internet access
• Download and use the RoadReady app (only required for participants randomized to the behind-the-wheel training arm; optional for participants randomized to the online vehicle and driver safety and online driver skills training arms)
• Are able to read/write in English
• Provide informed consent/assent
• Are not also taking part in another learner driver study

Exclusion criteria

• Non-Pennsylvania resident
• Participants who do not pass the license exam will not be able to complete the post-license monitoring until the license is obtained
• Enrolled in another learner driver study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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1,300 participants in 3 patient groups

Active Control: Online Vehicle and Driver Safety Education

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this arm will receive care as usual, and also complete an online video training module on vehicle and driver safety, with a short quiz at the end to determine compliance. The training content will not teach driving skills, as in the other online driver training arm. It requires up to two hours to complete and can be done from any internet-connected computer (at home, at school, etc.).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Online Vehicle and Driver Safety Education

Online Driver Skills Training

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the Online Driver Skills Training arm will complete an online driver skill training program known as Accelerated Curriculum to Create Effective Learning (ACCEL) for novice drivers. It requires up to two hours to complete and can be done from any internet-connected computer (at home, at school, etc.).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Online Driver Skills Training

Behind-the-Wheel Driver Training

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the Behind-the-Wheel training arm will receive professional behind-the-wheel training course delivered in-person on the road by a local driving school instructor through our partnership with a local driving school Coastline Academy.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Behind-the-Wheel Driver Training