This project evaluates the effectiveness of a multistage driver education program for Montana’s young drivers. A total of 347 teenaged drivers who had completed high school driver education agreed to participate. These drivers were randomly split into two groups of approximately equal size, one of which received additional instruction in a defensive driving workshop (case group) and another that did not (control group). Self-reported and DMV data was collected over a four-year period (from 2006 to 2009) to determine the drivers’ involvement in near-misses, single- and multiple-vehicle collisions and any citations received. In 2006 and 2007, there was a significantly lower number of self-reported citations in the case group compared to the control group. However, when adjusted for driving exposure the differences were found to be insignificant. When adjusting for driving exposure, near-miss and collision experience between the two groups was not significantly different during any of the survey years. It should be noted that other possible positive outcomesof the training, such as increased knowledge, increased skills, and increased driving adaptability, cannot be measured by analyzing the dependent variables collected in this study. (Author/publisher)
Abstract