Hazard Perception Training for Driving Behavior

Overseen By Johnathon Ehsani, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Disqualifiers: Opt-out by participant or parent

Approved in 4 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how various types of driving training can improve skills and reduce crash rates. Participants will join groups receiving either hazard perception training (HPT), attention maintenance training, vehicle maintenance training, or no new training. The researchers aim to determine if these approaches alter driving behavior. Ideal candidates are those currently enrolled in a driver training course at the 911 Driving School in Washington State, who haven’t opted out. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to research that could enhance driver education and safety.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this training is safe for driving behavior?

Research shows that Hazard Perception Training is generally safe for participants. Conducted on a computer, this training helps improve driving skills such as spotting dangers and scanning the road. Studies have found that it can enhance these skills without harming participants. As a learning program rather than a medication or medical procedure, it has no reported physical side effects. Participants typically find the training manageable, as it is designed to be educational and safely enhance driving performance. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about Hazard Perception Training because it offers a new approach to improving driving behavior by directly enhancing a driver's ability to recognize and respond to potential hazards on the road. Unlike traditional methods that might focus on vehicle handling or general driving skills, this training zeros in on the cognitive skills necessary for anticipating dangerous situations. This could lead to safer driving outcomes by helping drivers make quicker and more informed decisions, potentially reducing accident rates more effectively than current standard practices.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for improving driving behavior?

Research shows that hazard perception training, which participants in this trial may receive, can greatly help drivers notice potential dangers on the road. Studies have found that this training improves hazard awareness skills across various driver groups, with noticeable improvements. For young drivers, this training enables performance at levels similar to experienced adult drivers. Although most studies focus on skill improvement rather than directly reducing crashes, the increased awareness and ability to recognize risks are promising for safer driving. These findings suggest that hazard perception training could effectively lower crash risk by enhancing drivers' reactions to potential dangers. ^{1 3 4 5 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Johnathon Ehsani, PhD

Principal Investigator

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals who are at least 15 years and 6 months old, hold a valid driving learner permit or waiver, plan to get a driver's license within the next 9 months, regularly use a smartphone with iOS or Android and data plan, and have access to drive a car, truck or SUV.

Inclusion Criteria

Plan to obtain a driver's license in the next 9 months

Use and regularly carry a smartphone using either iOS or Android technology with a data plan

Hold a valid driving learner permit or learner permit waiver

Exclusion Criteria

Participants will be excluded if parental permission is not received.

Participants must meet the above criteria

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Baseline hazard perception assessment is performed before training

1 week

Training

Participants receive hazard perception or attention maintenance training, or control training

4 weeks

Post-Training Assessment

Participants take a hazard perception exam to assess performance

1 week

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for driving behavior and crash rates using a smartphone application

12 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Hazard Perception Training

Trial Overview The study tests if hazard perception training improves driving performance compared to vehicle maintenance training. Participants will be randomly placed into two groups: one receives hazard perception training (treatment) and the other gets vehicle maintenance tips (control). Their driving behavior and crash rates will be monitored.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Hazard Perception Training Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Attention Maintenance Training Active Control 1 Intervention

Group III: ZED Training Active Control 1 Intervention

Group IV: Vehicle Maintenance Training Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Hazard Perception Training is already approved in United States, Canada, European Union for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Hazard Perception Training for:

• Improving driving skills
• Reducing crash rates

Approved in Canada as Hazard Perception Training for:

• Improving driving skills
• Reducing crash rates

Approved in European Union as Hazard Perception Training for:

• Improving driving skills
• Reducing crash rates

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

441

Recruited

2,157,000+

National Academy of Sciences

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

8,000+

The Driver Training Group

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

8,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The novel SAFE-T training program, which is one-third the duration of traditional training, effectively teaches novice drivers to anticipate and respond to hazards, showing comparable results to the longer RAPT program.

Drivers trained with SAFE-T maintained attention better, keeping their glance durations under a critical threshold of 2 seconds, similar to outcomes from established attention maintenance training programs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a multi-skill program for training younger drivers on higher cognitive skills. Yamani, Y., Samuel, S., Knodler, MA., et al.[2015]

Older drivers aged 65 to 94 who received video-based hazard perception training were significantly faster at anticipating traffic hazards compared to those who did not receive training.

This training could potentially reduce crash risk for older drivers, highlighting the importance of targeted driver education programs for improving road safety in this age group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving older drivers' hazard perception ability. Horswill, MS., Kemala, CN., Wetton, M., et al.[2019]

The Act and Anticipate Hazard Perception Training (AAHPT) significantly improved hazard perception skills in young novice drivers, particularly in the active and hybrid training modes compared to a control group.

Incorporating an active component where participants engaged with video-based traffic scenes led to better awareness of potential hazards, highlighting the effectiveness of practical training in enhancing driving safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Formation and Evaluation of Act and Anticipate Hazard Perception Training (AAHPT) intervention for young novice drivers. Meir, A., Borowsky, A., Oron-Gilad, T.[2019]

The Clinical Team Training (CTT) program, modeled after aviation's Crew Resource Management, significantly improved communication and teamwork among healthcare professionals, leading to enhanced patient safety.

Evaluation using the Teamwork and Safety Climate Questionnaire showed increased safety climate scores after CTT, with 11 out of 27 questions showing statistically significant improvements, indicating a positive impact on reducing patient harm.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of crew resource management on teamwork and safety climate at Veterans Health Administration facilities. Schwartz, ME., Welsh, DE., Paull, DE., et al.[2018]

A pilot study successfully implemented a patient-led educational intervention for newly qualified doctors, where patients shared their experiences of safety lapses, enhancing the focus on the impact of these incidents on patients and families.

The intervention was well-received by both patients and trainees, indicating its feasibility and acceptability, and it will be further refined for a larger randomized controlled trial to evaluate its effectiveness in improving patient safety training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient-led training on patient safety: a pilot study to test the feasibility and acceptability of an educational intervention. Jha, V., Winterbottom, A., Symons, J., et al.[2021]

Simulation-based error training (SET) was found to be more effective than video-based guided error training (VGET) in improving novice drivers' hazard handling performance, as demonstrated by better scores and response distances in a driving simulator test.

Participants in the SET group exhibited higher levels of metacognitive activities and intrinsic motivation, which may contribute to its superior effectiveness in training compared to VGET.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparative study of two hazard handling training methods for novice drivers. Wang, YB., Zhang, W., Salvendy, G.[2019]

A new computer-based hazard perception test was developed and validated for driver licensing in Queensland, Australia, demonstrating that it is understandable even for non-native English speakers with a reading age of 10.

The test effectively differentiates between experienced and learner drivers, confirming its validity for assessing hazard perception skills, with no significant differences in scores based on gender, income, or education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The development and validation of a hazard perception test for use in driver licensing. Wetton, MA., Hill, A., Horswill, MS.[2019]

A simulation exercise designed to enhance situational awareness (SA) in patient safety was feasible and well-accepted by 76 residents, with 93.4% expressing satisfaction after the training.

The exercise revealed that while residents improved their comfort in identifying safety hazards, many still missed complex hazards requiring higher levels of SA, indicating a need for ongoing education in patient safety throughout their training.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Experiential Learning in Patient Safety: A Multi-Center Study Examining Emergency Medicine Residents' Situational Awareness of Hazards via Simulation. Balhara, KS., Olson, N., Wilson, JL., et al.[2022]

A training program based on high-performance teamwork principles from aviation was successfully adapted for internal medicine, leading to a significant increase in residents' knowledge of teamwork principles from 35% to 67%.

Residents' comfort in speaking up about unsafe plans improved dramatically from 65% to 94% after the training, indicating a positive shift in attitudes towards patient safety and communication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Developing a high-performance team training framework for internal medicine residents: the ABC'S of teamwork. Carbo, AR., Tess, AV., Roy, C., et al.[2022]

Implementing an evidence-based team training program can effectively promote a culture of patient safety among physicians and healthcare staff.

Such training helps ensure that safety practices are not only adopted but also maintained over time within healthcare organizations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Getting physicians involved in patient safety. A team approach. Baum, K., Reifsteck, SW.[2019]

A new training program called Child-pedestrians Anticipate and Act Hazard Perception Training (CA(2)HPT) was developed to help children aged 7-9 improve their ability to recognize traffic hazards, using a 40-minute simulation of residential traffic scenarios.

The training significantly increased the children's awareness of potential hazards, particularly those related to limited visibility, suggesting that such interventions can enhance their safety when crossing roads.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can child-pedestrians' hazard perception skills be enhanced? Meir, A., Oron-Gilad, T., Parmet, Y.[2018]

Novice drivers who underwent a one-hour PC-based hazard anticipation training program (RAPT) were significantly better at anticipating hazards immediately after training (65.8% vs. 47.3% for the control group).

The benefits of the RAPT training persisted over time, with the trained group still anticipating hazards at a higher rate (61.9%) compared to the control group (37.7%) six months later.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Long Term Effects of Hazard Anticipation Training on Novice Drivers Measured on the Open Road. Taylor, TG., Masserang, KM., Pradhan, AK., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. nhtsa.gov nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/young-drivers/countermeasures/other-strategies-behavior-change

Hazard Perception Training In all studies, young drivers demonstrated improvements in hazard perception skills after training. However, none of the studies looked at crash outcomes for ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000145752400099X

The efficacy of hazard perception training and education This study found that HP training improved HP skill across all road user groups with generally moderate to large effects identified.

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369847825003523

A driving simulator study Comparable effectiveness of risk awareness and perception training (RAPT) in young drivers with diverse socioeconomic status: A driving simulator study.

4. rosap.ntl.bts.gov rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/2086/dot_2086_DS1.pdf

Evaluation of an Updated Version of the Risk Awareness ... The performance of trained novice drivers improved to a level similar to that of adult experienced drivers after training on the post-test and was significantly ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10182720/

Driving Hazard Perception Tests: A Systematic Review - PMC The results of this study showed that the employed test used could distinguish different groups of drivers who had different driving experiences. The ability to ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4689436/

Evaluation of a Risk Awareness Perception Training Program ... Risk awareness perception training (RAPT) has shown effectiveness in improving hazard anticipation for latent hazards. The goal of this study ...