New Study Identifies High-Risk New Drivers with Virtual Driving Assessment Tool
Young and newly licensed drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 are at a significantly higher risk of motor vehicle accidents compared to experienced, older drivers. To address this issue, a groundbreaking study conducted by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has utilized a virtual driving assessment (VDA) tool to identify high-risk teen drivers who are more likely to be involved in car accidents.
The study, published in the October 2023 issue of Pediatrics, gathered data from over 16,000 new drivers in Ohio who completed the VDA tool. The researchers then tracked their car accident rate over the following three years. The results were quite alarming – although this age group only represents 5% of all drivers, they account for up to 12% of vehicular crashes and over 8% of fatal accidents annually.
It is worth noting that a large majority of accidents occur within a few months after new drivers receive their licenses. While some states have certain restrictions in place for newly licensed teenagers, such as driving only during daylight hours and not having teen passengers, these rules are often not strictly followed. Moreover, most states lack standardized requirements for road training before obtaining a driver’s license.
The accidents that occur in the months following licensure are primarily due to driver error rather than reckless or intentional risky behavior. These errors are typically related to inadequate driving skills, including poor scanning, decision errors, and loss of control. With increased experience and time behind the wheel, these errors decrease significantly. This emphasizes the importance of minimizing error rates during the early months of a new driver’s experience.
To address this issue, researchers at CHOP, in collaboration with Diagnostic Driving, Inc., the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, developed the VDA tool. Originally designed to assess new drivers’ ability to pass the road test for licensure, the tool has found an expanded use in helping new drivers and their families improve their driving skills before hitting the road.
The VDA is a 15-minute self-directed online test that presents various driving scenarios and measures simulated driving skills. It incorporates common crash scenarios such as rear-end events, intersections, curved roads, merges, and hazard zones. The tool assesses 69 variables related to operational and tactical driving skills, including simulated crashes, traffic light violations, and overall performance in several important driving domains.
The recent study analyzed driving records between July 2017 and March 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic started. The results showed that 13% of newly licensed drivers experienced a crash, while 1.5% had two or more crashes. Notably, 90% of these crashes occurred within 17 to 600 days after obtaining a license. The VDA skill scores revealed that those with No Issues Driving had a 10% lower risk of crashing than average, while those with Major Issues with Dangerous Behavior had an 11% higher risk.
The study authors believe that the VDA is a valuable tool for identifying high-risk new drivers. It is suggested that poor performers on the VDA should be given additional time to refine their skills, potentially delaying full licensure until their competency and safety level align with those who exhibit No Issues Driving. This approach could undoubtedly lead to a significant reduction in road crashes on a national scale.
By leveraging the power of virtual assessment tools like the VDA, it becomes possible to better assess the risk profiles of new drivers and provide them with the necessary support to enhance their driving skills. Ultimately, this can contribute to creating safer roads for everyone.
