A randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of Plan My Ride, an interactive, web-based safe driving program for young drivers

Completion of driver licensing requirements presents a valuable opportunity to teach teens and young adults skills to drive safely that go beyond the mechanics of driving to prevent motor vehicle crashes, a leading cause of death in these age groups. The Plan My Ride program is a web-based, safe driving program that focuses on avoiding speeding, driving distracted due to cell phones, and impaired driving due to use of alcohol and drugs, informed by the Integrated Behavior Model, designed with and for teen and young adult drivers. In a randomized controlled trial, young drivers were recruited and randomized to complete Plan My Ride or to a waitlist control group. All participants completed surveys at three time points (baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months). Intent-to-treat analyses compared the intervention and waitlist control groups in their knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, self-efficacy, intentions, and behaviors related to safe driving. Follow-up complier average causal effect (CACE) analyses compared participants who completed the seven lessons with similar participants in the waitlist control group. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that participants randomized to complete the Plan My Ride program had greater knowledge about safe driving and attitudes and normative beliefs supportive of safe driving at the 2-week follow-up. The impact on attitudes supportive of safe driving was sustained at the 3-month follow-up. Follow-up CACE analyses indicated medium effect sizes at both the 2-week and 3-month follow-ups for knowledge, attitudes, and normative beliefs about safe driving. The Plan My Ride program was successful in modifying knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that are supportive of safe driving behaviors. The lack of statistically significant effects of exposure to the program on safe driving self-efficacy, intentions, and self-reported behaviors suggests the need for future modifications to the program to improve its efficacy.