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Research Reports |
| Title: | Do Advisory Letters Engage Parents in Teen Driver Safety? |
| Authors: | Kimberly Vachal |
| University: | North Dakota State University |
| Publication Date: | Mar 2024 |
| Report #: | MPC-24-514 |
| Project #: | MPC-567 |
| TRID #: | 01920687 |
| Keywords: | high risk drivers, outreach, parents, surveys, teenage drivers |
| Type: | Research Report – MPC Publications |
Teens are a high-risk driver group. Previous research shows risk-based injury prevention programs for subpopulations or individuals can be successful as buildouts to universal strategies. The goal here was to assess the efficacy of parent advisory letters as a supplement to graduated driving license and seat belt strategies. The state licensing agency mailed advisory letters to parents of teens that had been identified as high-risk. A follow-up survey resulted in 309 parent responses. The letter was generally viewed as positive. About 80% of parents reported action subsequent to receiving the letter such as discussions with their teen, learning more about teen driver risk, and finding additional driver training. Comments and an open-ended question provided insight for program refinement. For instance, some negative comments were associated with parents' perception that the letter was accusatory or overreaching. Others commended the letter, saying it provided additional knowledge and suggestions that were helpful. It is an example of continued innovation to improve public safety. The localized and pragmatic approach used here can be refined based on survey results and experience gained during the pilot project. Results inform other states considering low-cost individualized programs to complement their "one-size-fits all" driver improvement strategies.
Vachal, Kimberly. Do Advisory Letters Engage Parents in Teen Driver Safety?, MPC-24-514. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2024.
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