HOW SHOULD DRIVER EDUCATION BE EVALUATED?

Attempts are made to answer the question of driver education evaluation by four safety education officers. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officer observes that design of the evaluatory procedure should be based on the answers to four questions: what are you evaluating? why is the evaluation performed? how should the evaluation be performed? how will the evaluation be performed? Currently, driver education requires different evaluation designs with different impact criteria. The Highway Users Federation officer notes that there are many ways of evaluation. After the 1966 Highway Safety Act, safety as measured by accident reduction, became the mandated criterion for High School Driver Education evaluation. However, accident reduction should be balanced against other effectiveness criteria which reflect societal values and the demands of the highway transportation system. Evaluations should also be sensitive to program constraints. A Maryland State Department of Education officer observes that any evaluation should consider four questions: should teens be required to take driver education? is the public willing to pay for driver education? does driver education improve performance? and is the program cost effective? A New York State Department of Motor Vehicles officer notes that ability to avoid collisions should be the bottom line of any evaluatory scheme.

• Corporate Authors:

  California Association for Safety Education

  2784 West Wilberta Lane
  Anaheim, CA  United States  92804
• Authors:
  • Smith, M F
  • Calvin, R M
  • Crabb, O
  • Maryott, D W
• Publication Date: 1983-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 2 p.
• Serial:
  • JOURNAL OF TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue Number: 4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver education; Driver performance; Drivers; Evaluation; Personnel performance; Safety; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident avoidance; Criteria; Programs
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00385576
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 851
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 30 1984 12:00AM