SAFE PERFORMANCE CURRICULUM

OVERVIEW

A random assignment study involving over 16,000 high school students evaluated the effectiveness of the Safe Performance driver education curriculum in preventing crashes and traffic violations.  Driving outcomes for students assigned to receive the Safe Performance curriculum were compared with those for students assigned to receive a less involved curriculum and with those for students assigned to a control group. 

Students in both the Safe Performance group and the other driver education group were more likely to obtain licenses than students in the control group.  Students in the Safe Performance group were also more likely than students in the control group to get in a crash and to receive a traffic violation.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: new drivers

In the 1980s, the Safe Performance curriculum was considered to be the nation’s most advanced and thorough driver education program.  The curriculum was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and included 32 hours of classroom instruction, 16 hours of simulation instruction, 16 hours of driving range instruction, and 3 hours of instruction on evasive maneuvers.  The program also provided each student with three hours of on-road, behind-the-wheel instruction during daylight hours and 20 minutes of on-road, behind-the-wheel instruction at night.

The Pre-Driving Licensing curriculum provided students with minimum training in skills required to pass a licensing test.  The curriculum included 20 hours of classroom, simulation, and driving range instruction and only provided one hour of on-road, behind-the-wheel training.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Evaluated population: 16,338 high school students from DeKalb County, Georgia served as the study sample for this investigation.

Approach: Students who applied for driver education in DeKalb County, Georgia between 1977 and 1980 were randomly assigned to one of three groups – a Safe Performance group, a Pre-Driver Licensing group, and a control group.  Students assigned to the Safe Performance group received the Safe Performance curriculum; students assigned to the Pre-Driver Licensing group received the Pre-Driver Licensing curriculum; and students assigned to the control group were expected to attain driver’s education from their parents and/or a private driver training school.

Driver licensure, crash, and violation records were obtained from the Georgia Department of Administrative services every six months.  Crash information was attained through December 1981 and violation information was attained through November 1982.

Results: Licensure, crash, and violation records were used to compute estimates of the relative likelihood of students becoming licensed or having their first crash or receiving their first violation at each month following their 16^th birthday.  Analyses were run to determine whether these estimates differed as a function of driver education group membership. 

Students assigned to either of the driver education groups were licensed significantly faster than students assigned to the control group.  Students assigned to the Safe Performance driver education group were significantly more likely than control students to get in a crash or receive a violation during any given month. 

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References:

Lund, A. K., Williams, A. F., & Zador, P.  (1986).  High School Driver Education: Further Evaluation of the DeKalb County Study.  Accident Analysis & Prevention, 18(4), 349-357.

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 16+

Evaluated participant grades: 10^th+

Program age ranges in the guide: Youth

Program components: School-Based

Measured outcomes: Life Skills, Physical Health

Program information last updated on 12/5/07.

© Child Trends 2004