AN EVALUATION OF DRIVER EDUCATION-A STUDY OF HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE FIELD OF DRIVER EDUCATION

THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY ARE REVIEWED OF THE DRIVER EDUCATION MOVEMENT. A CRITIQUE OF PAST STUDIES OUTLINES A NUMBER OF SHORTCOMINGS IN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING EXPOSURE, OFFICIAL RECORDS, PERSONALITY FACTORS, AND CRITIERIA ARE DISCUSSED. THE AUTHORS PRESENT TWO ORIGINAL STUDIES, ONE OF WHICH COMPARES TRAINED AND NON-TRAINED SUBJECTS. THIS STUDY INDICATES A LACK OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ACCIDENTS, VIOLATION FREQUENCY, PERSONAL INJURY, OR VEHICLE DAMAGE WITH FORMAL DRIVER TRAINING. THE SECOND STUDY COMPARED DRIVER TRAINED SUBJECTS WHO HAD ONLY CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS WITH SUBJECTS WHO HAD RECEIVED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS, BEHIND-THE -WHEEL TRAINING, AND SIMULATOR TRAINING. NO DIFFERENCE WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS ON ACCIDENT FREQUENCY OR ACCIDENT SEVERITY. THE AUTHORS MAINTAIN THAT FURTHER EXPANSION OF HIGH SCHOOL DRIVER EDUCATION IS CONTRAINDICATED PENDING FINAL EVALUATION AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THESE STUDIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE AUTHORS' CONVICTION THAT IT IS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST TO CRITICALLY EVALUATE ALL SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AGAINST CAREFULLY DEFINED GOALS. DRIVER EDUCATION IS CONSIDERED ONLY ONE OF MANY PROGRAMS WHICH REQUIRE SUCH EVALUATION. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 19, 90 PP, 3 FIG, 27 TAB, 52 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Irvine

  Irvine, CA  United States 
• Authors:
  • McGuire, F L
  • Kersh, R C
• Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Crash rates; Crash severity; Driver training; Evaluation; High schools; Injuries
• Uncontrolled Terms: Violations
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220662
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 15 1971 12:00AM