Scheduled for RCB Poster Session II, Thursday, April 14, 2005, 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area II


Educating Adolescents on Safe Driving Behaviors

Keith A. King, West Chester, OH

The purpose of this study was to examine the overall effectiveness of a 2003-2004 adolescent safe driving program (Teen Countermeasure) in Greater Cincinnati schools. The current evaluation was conducted as year one of a three year longitudinal assessment on the long-term efficacy of this program. A 2-page, 26-item survey was developed to assess student involvement in safe driving and safe passenger behaviors. Face/Content validity and stability reliability of the instrument were established. Internal consistency reliability was also computed and indicated that the survey was reliable. Surveys were distributed to students in three participating schools during the 2003-2004 academic year. A total of 210 students completed pretests and posttests. A series of paired sample t-tests indicated a number of significant pretest-posttest differences (p < .05). Specifically, at posttest the majority of students reported that they would wear seatbelts when driving, make their passengers wear seatbelts, limit the number of passengers to the number of seatbelts in the vehicle, not drive after drinking, wear their seatbelts when riding as a passenger in a vehicle, stop a friend from driving after drinking, not ride with a driver who had been drinking, and would ride in a vehicle with more passengers than seatbelts. Compared to pretest scores, students were significantly more likely at posttest to wear their seatbelt when riding as a passenger in a vehicle. Compared to pretest scores, students were significantly less likely at posttest to ride with a driver who had been drinking, have ridden in the past 30 days with a driver who had been drinking, and ride in a vehicle with more passengers than seatbelts. In conclusion, the results of this report indicate that the Teen Driving Countermeasure resulted in several positive outcomes. Specific recommendations will be offered at the presentation. In addition, handouts and overall conclusions will be provided.

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