Checkpoints Program

CHECKPOINTS PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

The Checkpoints Program is a year-long education-based graduated teen driving intervention. The program’s goal is to increase parental restrictions on high-risk driving behaviors among youth just learning how to drive. Over the course of a year, families are mailed a series of informational materials, including a video, newsletters, and a driving agreement. An experimental evaluation found that at the time of youth licensure, there were positive impacts on the four youth-report and parent-report outcomes: youth-passenger limits, high-speed road limits, weekday driving restrictions, and weekend driving restrictions. At the one-year assessment, there were impacts on youth-report and parent-report high-speed road limits and weekend driving restrictions. There were no impacts on the youth-report and parent-report youth-passenger limits and weekday driving restrictions at the one-year follow-up.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: 16-year-old youth seeking a learner’s permit.

The Checkpoints Program is a year-long education-based intervention, targeting parents and youth who are applying for a learner’s permit. The program’s goal is to increase parental restrictions on high-risk driving behaviors among youth just learning how to drive. Over the course of a year, families are mailed a series of informational materials, including a video, newsletters, and a driving agreement. These materials are mailed to families to coincide with the youth’s driving stage of development. For example, families receive the video shortly after they are recruited into the study; eight newsletters are mailed to families while youth have their learners’ permit, and 10 additional newsletters are mailed up to six months after youth obtain their driver’s license. Informational materials are intended to convey the risks of youth driving, expectations of parental restrictions on youth driving, and the benefits of adopting the Checkpoints Parent-Teen Driving Agreement. The Checkpoints Parent-Teen Driving Agreement is intended to support parents in limiting high-risk driving conditions such as youth nighttime driving and youth driving with multiple teenage passengers. The driving agreement also helps parents develop clear driving rules, including identifying consequences of violating rules and identifying successes when abiding by the rules.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Simons-Morton BG, Hartos JL, Leaf WA, Preusser DF. (2005) Persistence of Effects of the Checkpoints Program on Parental Restrictions of Teen Driving Privileges. American Journal of Public Health, 95(3): 447-452.

Evaluated population: A total of 420 parent-youth pairs participated in the study. Among the parent participants, 61% were mothers, 83% were white, 67% were between 40-49 years of age, 75% had some post-high school education, 80% were married, and 61% had annual household incomes of greater than $50,000. Among youth participants, 53% were male, and 86% went on to obtain their driver’s license within 12 months of eligibility.

Approach: Families were approached for participation at one of eight Department of Motor Vehicle agencies throughout the state of Connecticut. After completing a pre-license baseline telephone interview, parent-youth pairs were then randomly slotted to either the intervention group (n=210) or the control group (n=210). Additional assessments were conducted, also through telephone interviews, at the time the youth acquired a license, as well as three, six, and 12 months after licensure. Families in the control group were mailed informational materials such as the importance of using seat belts.

Outcomes assessed at these study periods mainly centered on imposed driving limits: number of other teenage passengers allowed in the car, high-speed road limits, and weekday and weekend night driving restrictions.

Results: At the time of youth licensure, there were impacts on the four youth-report and parent-report outcomes: youth-passenger limits, high-speed road limits, weekday driving restrictions, and weekend driving restrictions. All youth-report and parent-report impacts were sustained at the three-month follow-up period. At the six-month follow-up period, impacts remained for high-speed road limits and weekend driving restrictions, but there was no impact on weekday driving restrictions (parents were assessed only on high-speed road limits at the six-month assessment). At the one-year assessment, there were impacts on youth-report and parent-report high-speed road limits and weekend driving restrictions. However, there were no impacts on the youth-report and parent-report youth-passenger limits and weekday driving restrictions.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

For a copy of the Checkpoints Parent-Teen Driving Agreement, please visit:

http://www.mccpta.com/safety_dir/Driving_agreement_2_RGB.pdf

References:

Simons-Morton BG, Hartos JL, Leaf WA. (2002). Promoting Parental Management of Teen Driving. Injury Prevention, 8(Suppl II):ii24-ii31.

SUMMARY & CATEGORIZATION

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant age: Youth 16 years of age

Program component: Home-based

Measured outcomes: Education & Cognitive Development

KEYWORDS: Adolescents (12-17), Youth (16+), High School, Home-based, Parent/Family Component, Other Safety

Last Updated: 6/30/10