Driver Education Research Study
DRIVER
A Contemporary Look at Driver Training and Its Role in Reducing Crash Risk in Novice Adolescent Drivers
2 other identifiers
interventional
1,300
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This study will test the effectiveness of different types of driver training interventions for reducing young new driver crash risk early after licensure.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Aug 2024
Longer than P75 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 24, 2024
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 14, 2024
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
August 8, 2024
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
December 1, 2027
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
December 1, 2027
August 11, 2025
August 1, 2025
3.3 years
April 24, 2024
August 6, 2025
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (2)
Hard Braking Events
For Aim 1 and 3, the primary outcome is the number of hard braking events per 100 miles driven during the first 2 months post-licensure, as measured via the Way-to-Drive App.
Measured over the 6 months post-licensure at the end of the study (about month 18-24), assessed at 2 and 6 months post-licensure, with primary outcome at 2 months post-licensure.
Pass rate on the licensure exam
The primary outcome in Aim 2 and 3 will be the pass rate on the first licensure exam attempt.
Measured at the time of the license examination, post-intervention (in about month 8-18).
Secondary Outcomes (7)
Phone Use While Driving
Measured over the 6 months post-licensure at the end of the study (about month 18-24), assessed at 2 and 6 months post-licensure.
Speeding
Measured over the 6 months post-licensure at the end of the study (about month 18-24), assessed at 2 and 6 months post-licensure.
Crash Involvement
Measured at 2-, 4- and 6-month follow-up post-licensure (about month 18-24).
Risky driving behavior
Measured at 2-, 4- and 6-month follow-up post-licensure (within about month 18-24).
Virtual Driving Assessment performance
Measured at the time of the license examination, post-intervention (in about month 8-18).
- +2 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (3)
Active Control: Online Vehicle and Driver Safety Education
ACTIVE COMPARATORParticipants 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.).
Online Driver Skills Training
EXPERIMENTALParticipants 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.).
Behind-the-Wheel Driver Training
EXPERIMENTALParticipants 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.
Interventions
This online video education program provides education in vehicle and driver safety (e.g. vehicle maintenance, adjusting car seats and seatbelts). This online training will take up to 2 hours to complete and will have a short quiz at the end to determine compliance with this online training.
The online driver training is the Accelerated Curriculum to Create Effective Learning (ACCEL) is designed to enhance the ability to anticipate, recognize and respond to hazards and to maintain attention to the road. The training is delivered online via a computer and can be done from home or at a school or other site that has a computer with internet access. It requires up to two hours to complete, and will be hosted on a platform that will track progress and completion through the training (such as accuracy, duration in modules, time to complete) and a short quiz will be provided at the end to assess learning.
The professional behind-the-wheel training course will be conducted in-person, delivered by local driving school partner Coastline Academy. The curriculum consists of 6 hours of training with assigned practice between lessons, and meets Pennsylvania and national standards. Post-lesson forms completed by the instructors will record adherence and consistency (intervention fidelity).
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- 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
You may not qualify if:
- 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
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphialead
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)collaborator
- University of Pennsylvaniacollaborator
- University of Michigancollaborator
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)collaborator
Study Sites (1)
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146, United States
Related Publications (1)
Walshe EA, Romer D, Elliott MR, Baxelbaum KS, Delgado MK, Ebert JP, Winston FK. A contemporary examination of the effect of driver training for reducing crash risk in novice adolescent drivers: protocol for the DRIVER study, a random assignment trial. Inj Epidemiol. 2025 Dec 1;13(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s40621-025-00645-2.
PMID: 41327408DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Elizabeth A Walshe, PhD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Flaura Winston, MD, PhD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dan Romer, PhD
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- DOUBLE
- Who Masked
- CARE PROVIDER, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Masking Details
- The research staff who are unblinded will deliver the electronic surveys and cognitive battery (which is automatically scored) at baseline before participants are randomly assigned to an arm. The primary outcome variables are automatically scored, thus blindly to intervention arm. The Virtual Driving Assessment is a self-guided tool and is automatically scored. The smartphone app automatically records hard braking events and other behaviors without knowledge of intervention arm. Licensing tests will be conducted by state-sanctioned licensing examiners who will be blinded to which arm the participant is in (per state mandate).
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 24, 2024
First Posted
May 14, 2024
Study Start
August 8, 2024
Primary Completion (Estimated)
December 1, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
December 1, 2027
Last Updated
August 11, 2025
Record last verified: 2025-08
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share