A set of seven targeted driver license manuals and tests was developed for the following groups of drivers: New drivers, Youthful drivers, Renewal applicants, Older drivers, Traffic violators, Accident repeaters, and Drinking drivers. The manuals and tests were administered to a sample of 30,000 drivers, primarily from the state of Virginia, in order to determine their effectiveness in leading to acquisition, retention, and application of safe driving information. The assessment of information acquisition evidenced large knowledge gains for all target groups except the traffic violator group. A retention test was administered to the New driver and Renewal group after a five-month interval. The Older driver group showed a slight gain. In addition to the manuals, a one-hour audiovisual presentation covering the contents of the New Driver manual was developed.
Abstract