Evaluation of the effect of a novice driver training program on citations and crashes

Abstract

Novice driver training programs have been shown to change behaviors known to be linked to increases in crash risks, behaviors such as long glances inside the vehicle and failures to glance towards latent hazards. However, until recently no program had been shown to change the actual frequency of citations and crashes. The one program that has been shown to reduce crashes was delivered once, at the time of licensure, took only 17 minutes in length to complete, and addressed only hazard anticipation. We asked whether a training program that addressed both hazard anticipation and attention maintenance skills, Distractology 101, was roughly twice as long in length, and was delivered once in person and once over the internet would prove at least as effective, not only with drivers who had just received their license, but also drivers who had up to 36 months of experience. The results showed that this training program reduced citations and crashes significantly and similarly across drivers with different driving experience.