Motor vehicle crashes are the major cause of death and injury among adolescents. PRB has developed a program of research, including observational and prospective studies, designed to increase understanding of teen driving risks and reduce crash risks during the early months of licensure. Results from our initial studies indicated that teen risky driving behaviors, traffic violations, and crashes were related to low parental monitoring and lenient driving restrictions, especially during the first month of licensure. Based on these findings, the Checkpoints Program was developed to increase parental management of teen unrestricted driving through the use persuasive communications (PCs) in the forms of newsletters and a model driving agreement. Several randomized trials have been conducted establishing the efficacy of the Checkpoints Program. The results indicate significant differences on driving limits, risky driving, tickets, and crashes through 12-months post licensure. Current studies are designed to evaluate methods for increasing the effectiveness of parent interventions. Other studies are underway to evaluate the effects on novice teen driving performance of driving experience, teen passengers, and night driving.
