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.

This project involved a multi-site, multi-level evaluation of beginner driver education programs in the United States and Canada that aimed to: (1) generate new knowledge about the outcomes, impact, and operational effectiveness of driver education; (2) provide new information about how to improve the delivery and content of driver education to enhance its safety impact; (3) demonstrate implementation of the AAA Foundation’s Comprehensive Guidelines for evaluating driver education; and, (4) showcase potentially more effective and constructive methods to evaluate driver education. This report describes the results of the investigation in Manitoba and Oregon. The principal foci are on evaluating the extent to which driver education programs influence student outcomes (e.g., improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and safer behavior) and on the impact of these programs in terms of crash reduction in Oregon.

INTRODUCTION:A converging pair of studies investigated the validity of a simulator for measuring driving performance/skill. STUDY 1: A concurrent validity study compared novice driver performance during an on-road driving test with their performance on a comparable simulated driving test. RESULTS:Results showed a reasonable degree of concordance in terms of the distribution of driving errors on-road and errors on the simulator. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the two when driver performance was rank ordered according to errors, further establishing the relative validity of the simulator. However, specific driving errors on the two tasks were not closely related suggesting that absolute validity could not be established and that overall performance is needed to establish the level of skill. STUDY 2: A discriminant validity study compared driving performance on the simulator across three groups of drivers who differ in their level of experience--a group of true beginners who had no driving experience, a group of novice drivers who had completed driver education and had a learner's permit, and a group of fully licensed, experienced drivers. RESULTS:The findings showed significant differences among the groups in the expected direction--the various measures of driving errors showed that beginners performed worse than novice drivers and that experienced drivers had the fewest errors. Collectively, the results of the concurrent and discriminant validity studies support the use of the simulator as a valid measure of driving performance for research purposes. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY:These findings support the use of a driving simulator as a valid measure of driving performance for research purposes. Future research should continue to examine validity between on-road driving performance and performance on a driving simulator and the use of simulated driving tests in the evaluation of driver education/training programs.

Introduction: This article summarizes the main findings from a study designed to examine the legal process in Canada as it applies to alcohol-impaired driving from the point of view of Crown prosecutors and defense counsel, and to identify evidentiary or procedural factors that may impact the legal process, the rights of the accused, and interactions of all parts in the legal process. Method: The data in this study were collected by means of a survey that was mailed out to the population of Crown prosecutors and defense counsel in Canada. In total, 765 prosecutors and 270 defense lawyers or an estimated 33% of all Canadian prosecutors and 15% of defense lawyers completed and returned the questionnaire. The "systems improvement" paradigm was used to interpret the findings and draw conclusions. Such an approach acknowledges the importance of the context in which countermeasures are implemented and delivered and the structures or entities used to deliver countermeasures to a designated target group. Results: Results on type of charges and breath alcohol concentration, caseload, case outcomes, case preparation time, conviction rate at trial and overall conviction rate, reasons for acquittals and time to resolve cases are described. Discussion: The findings from this national survey suggest that there are important challenges within the criminal justice system that impede the effective and efficient processing of impaired driving cases. Some of these challenges occur as a function of practices and policies, while others occur as a function of legislation. Impact on industry: This study illustrates that a "system improvements" approach that acknowledges the importance of all elements of the criminal justice system and the interaction between those elements, can be beneficial in overcoming the alcohol-impaired driving problem. (c) 2009 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The objective of this paper is to develop a model that can help explain the public's level of concern associated with six dangerous driving behaviours (drinking and driving, speeding, distracted driving, using a cell phone while driving, fatigued or drowsy driving, and using illegal drugs while driving). Understanding the genesis of concern can be useful in addressing it and leveraging it to improve safe driving. Building on a risk perception model that was developed previously, the study investigated the relationship between the level of concern about the unsafe driving behaviours and the perceived level of concern of others about the dangerous driving behaviours, the perception of the prevalence of the dangerous driving behaviours, the perception of the level of risk imposed by these dangerous driving behaviours, and the perception of the severity of injuries that can result from them. Data from two independent samples were modeled using multidimensional scaling and logistic regression analysis. Both samples come from telephone surveys; one was administered to a random sample of 750 drivers in the province of Ontario, Canada in November 2006, the other to a random sample of 1201 drivers across Canada in September 2006. Two dimensions in particular were found to fit the data well: perceived risk and the perceived level of concern of others. The results from these analyses are summarized using a perceptual map. The relevance of such a map is illustrated by explaining the factors that impact levels of concern regarding several of the unsafe driving behaviours.

INTRODUCTION:Aggressive driving encompasses a continuum of behaviors that range from extreme acts, such as shootings, to less severe manifestations, such as arguments and gestures. It is clear from the available data that aggressive driving is not uncommon and very risky. However, little is known about the opinions and practices of drivers. The purpose of this study was to help bridge these gaps. METHODS:The data were gathered by means of a public opinion poll among a representative sample of 1,201 Canadian drivers. Univariate frequency distributions and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and logistic regression and generalized linear latent models were used to summarize the data. RESULTS:It was found that the issue of aggressive driving is a significant one as a considerable percentage of drivers admits to it. The results coming from the logistic regression and the generalized linear latent model suggest that male and younger drivers are more likely to behave aggressively in traffic and that behaving more aggressively is associated with a history of traffic tickets. DISCUSSION:When gauging people's attitudes, opinions, and behaviors, it becomes clear that aggressive driving is a considerable problem. There also seems to be a need for a better understanding of which specific behaviors respondents associate with the generic term "aggressive driving." IMPACT ON INDUSTRY:Results from this study further emphasize the need of increasing the aggressive driving knowledge base.

The purpose of this report is to inform justice policy makers and professionals about the significance of assessment, screening and treatment of drunk drivers. The report investigates the limitations and strengths of the judicial processes and targets a number of recommendations for bettering the quality of screening, evaluation and treatment of drunk drivers.

Concern about such issues as drinking and driving and using illegal drugs and driving may affect more people than the issues themselves. Relevant questions in this context are whether the level of concern adds to, or detracts from the level of traffic safety; and, whether the level of concern can and should be controlled. The objective of this paper is to develop a model that can help understand ways in which drivers perceive risks associated with drinking and driving and using illegal drugs and driving and that sheds light on the genesis of their concern about those behaviours. Ultimately, understanding the dynamics between the dimensions involved in the genesis of concern can be useful to the social engineer to ensure that public levels of concern about these unsafe behaviours are appropriate given the level of danger and risk posed by them. Building on a risk perception model that was previously developed, the following dimensions and their relationship with the level of concern of drivers about drinking and driving and using illegal drugs and driving were investigated in this paper: the perceived level of concern of others about those dangerous driving behaviours; perception of the prevalence of those behaviours; perception of the level of risk imposed by them; and, perception of the severity of injuries that can result from these behaviours. Data from two independent samples were modeled using multidimensional scaling analysis and logistic regression analysis. Both samples come from a telephone survey; one was administered to a random sample of 750 Ontario drivers in November 2006, the other to a random sample of 1,201 Canadian drivers in September 2006. The results from these analyses are summarized using a perceptual map. The relevance of such a map is illustrated by explaining levels of concern regarding drinking and driving and using illegal drugs and driving.