Young Driver Intervention Study: Preventing Motor Vehicle Crashes

Health Behavior Clinical Trial

Official title:

Young Driver Intervention Study: Preventing Motor Vehicle Crashes Among Young Drivers

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00062829
• Other study ID #: N01HD83285
• Secondary ID: Z01HD001707-01N0
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: June 17, 2003
• Last updated: September 24, 2014
• Start date: September 1998
• Est. completion date: September 2005

Study information

• Verified date: September 2014
• Source: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a program designed to reduce teen crashes and risky driving by increasing parental monitoring and restriction of their adolescents' driving practices during the first year of licensed driving.

Description:

Motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of death and disability among adolescents from 16 through 20 years of age. While adolescents between the ages of 16 and 19 years constitute only 5% of all licensed drivers, they are involved in 15% of the crashes in which they or other occupants are killed. In fact, 16-year-old drivers are more than 20 times as likely to have a crash as the general population of drivers and 17-year-olds are more than 6 times as likely. In addition, for each adolescent motor vehicle fatality, approximately 100 nonfatal injuries occur, making crashes the leading cause of disability due to head and spinal cord injuries in adolescents.

Parents can have a huge impact on adolescent behavior. However, the impact of parenting practices on adolescent driving behavior has not yet been examined. This study aims to determine the efficacy of an intervention designed to increase parents' involvement in, and parental restrictions on, their teens' early driving experiences in order to reduce the number of tickets and crashes among teen drivers. The intervention provides educational materials to parents and adolescents from the time the adolescent gets a learner's permit through the first 6 months of licensure. These persuasive communications are tailored to adolescents' level of driving experience. The intervention materials make explicit the increased risk associated with adolescent driving and methods for reducing risk through increased parental involvement in and restriction of driving.

Participants were recruited in the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicle offices as adolescents applied for their learner's permits. Participants were randomized to either the intervention group or the control group. The control group received standard information about driving not related to the specific teen risks focused on in the intervention group materials. All participants completed interviews at study entry, licensure, 3 months after licensure, 6 months after licensure, and 12 months after licensure. Parents were asked about their expectations and parenting practices regarding their adolescents' driving behaviors. Adolescents were asked about their driving practices and their parents' rules and restrictions regarding driving. The driving records for each adolescent were obtained from the state motor vehicle administration and examined 18 months after licensure.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 3743
• Est. completion date: September 2005
• Est. primary completion date: September 2000
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 16 Years to 16 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

• Lives with parent/guardian at least 50% of the time

• Obtains learner's driving permit

• Family members are able to complete interviews in English

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Subject), Primary Purpose: Prevention

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Accidents, Traffic
• Health Behavior

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Teen Driving: Program for parents
A behavioral intervention targeting driving risks unique to young drivers, including completing a behavioral contract, was administered to the intervention group. The control group received safety information appropriate for new drivers.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

References & Publications (3)

Simons-Morton BG, Hartos JL, Leaf WA. Promoting parental management of teen driving. Inj Prev. 2002 Sep;8 Suppl 2:ii24-30; discussion ii30-1. — View Citation

Simons-Morton BG, Hartos JL. How well do parents manage young driver crash risks? J Safety Res. 2003 Jan;34(1):91-7. — View Citation

Simons-Morton BG. Reducing young driver crash risk. Inj Prev. 2002 Sep;8 Suppl 2:ii1-2. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Risky Driving	17 item assessment of engaging in risky driving behaviors.	12 months	No