Evaluation of Beginner Driver Education in Oregon

Abstract

Abstract:Although driver education (DE) is widely accepted as an effective teen driver safety measure and widely available in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, evaluations have generally failed to show that such formal programs actually produce safer drivers. To address the issue of safety effects as part of a larger investigation, two studies were conducted to examine whether the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)-approved DE program was associated with reductions in collisions and convictions. In the first study, DE status among a relatively small sample of teens who completed an online survey was not found to have a significant effect on collisions and convictions. In the second study, of a much larger population of teen drivers, DE status was associated with a lower incidence of collisions and convictions. On balance, this suggests that the safety effects of DE are either neutral, based on the results of the first Oregon study, or cautiously optimistic based on the results of the second study. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of making improvements in DE that are evidence-based, and the need for further evaluation to establish that improved and new programs meet their safety objectives.

Driver education and teen crashes and traffic violations in the first two years of driving in a graduated licensing system

“…This study builds on recent findings by Mayhew et al (2014). A key difference between this study and Mayhew et al concerns the role of driver education within the graduated licensing environment.…”

“…They suggested that teen drivers lacked knowledge of how to handle the full range of driving situations and that parental training during the supervised training period (log) may vary in comprehensiveness and quality. Mayhew et al (2014) found that teens taking driver education had higher scores on tests of these types of knowledge as well as better performance on tests of driving skills. Their findings suggest that formal driver education may provide a more thorough and consistent training and instruction than informal parent or adult training, thereby accelerating teens' learning and better preparing them for unsupervised driving.…”

“…Mayhew et al (2014) found a number of differences on these types of variables between teens choosing to take driver education and those who do not. There may be meaningful psychological factors that account for differences in the crash and violation outcomes of the driver education and certification log cohorts, although analyses by Mayhew et al (2014) suggested that these types of psychological factors may not make much difference in findings when demographic controls, like those used in this study, are applied.…”

“…Despite these suggestive findings, a review of studies on driver education within the GDL environment by Thomas et al (2012) concluded that there was little solid evidence that driver education impacts teen crashes or other outcomes. New studies of teen driver education in Manitoba and Oregon since the Thomas et al review, however, found that driver education increased knowledge and safe driving practices and that, in Oregon, taking driver education was associated with lower rates of crashes and citations (Mayhew et al, 2014). Even with these new findings, however, studies have not provided a clear-cut answer to whether driver education can help reduce teen crashes and citations in the graduated driver licensing environment.…”

“…Driver education programs for teen drivers are designed to prepare beginning drivers for license testing and licensing (Mayhew et al, 2014;Thomas et al, 2012). Driver education courses typically combine both classroom instruction on topics such as vehicle safety, laws and regulations, vehicle operation, and factors affecting driving (alcohol, road conditions, distraction, etc.…”