Hazard Anticipation Program for Motor Vehicle Accidents

(HazAPP Trial)

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Elizabeth E O'Neal, MPH, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Elizabeth O'Neal

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to help parents teach their teen drivers to better spot road hazards. Half of the parents will use a special online program, the Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers, designed to enhance their guidance skills, while the other half will not. Researchers will then compare how well parents teach their teens in both real and simulated driving environments. Parents with teens aged 14-17 who are learning to drive may be a good fit for this study. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity for parents to improve their teaching skills and contribute to safer driving practices for teens.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What prior data suggests that this program is safe for improving teen driving skills?

Research has not provided specific safety data for the Hazard Anticipation Program for Motor Vehicle Accidents. However, similar programs involving parental assistance for teen drivers have generally proven safe. These programs instruct parents on helping teens identify and manage potential road hazards.

The program in this study is educational, featuring online training and video sessions. With no physical or medical treatment involved, the risk of negative effects remains very low. Participants learn and practice safer driving habits, which are unlikely to cause harm. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Hazard Anticipation Program because it offers a proactive approach by involving parents directly in their teen's driver education. Unlike traditional driver education programs that focus primarily on teens alone, this program empowers parents with web-based training to help their teens identify potential road hazards. This unique parent-teen collaboration, which includes practicing with video simulations, aims to enhance hazard awareness in real-world scenarios. By providing flexible, self-paced learning that fits into busy family schedules, the program could significantly improve teen driver safety.

What evidence suggests that the Hazard Anticipation Program is effective for improving teen drivers' hazard anticipation skills?

Research shows that training programs can help young drivers spot potential dangers on the road. Studies have found that after participating in these programs, young drivers improve at noticing hazards. However, while these programs enhance skills, they have not yet directly reduced crash rates. In this trial, the Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers aims to boost these skills by guiding parents on how to teach their teens effectively. Participants in this arm of the trial will engage in a web-based training that provides a practical way for parents and teens to learn these safety skills together. ^{2 3 5 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for parents who are the main driving instructors for their teens aged 14-17, who are in the learner phase of getting a driver's license. It aims to improve how parents teach hazard anticipation skills during supervised driving.

Inclusion Criteria

I am the main person teaching my teen to drive.

I am between 14 and 17 years old and learning to drive.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Parents in the intervention group complete a web-based training program to improve hazard anticipation skills over a two-week period.

2 weeks

Web-based program, self-paced

Application

Parents apply the training in real-world driving sessions with their teens, completing a minimum of 5 recorded drives.

2 weeks

5 recorded drives (in-person)

Simulator Assessment

Teens and parents complete a drive in a simulator to assess hazard anticipation and driving performance.

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the intervention.

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers

Trial Overview

The study tests a Hazard Anticipation Program designed for these parents. By comparing those who receive this program with those who don't, researchers will assess its effectiveness using real-world drives and simulations.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Parents and teens randomly assigned to this arm of the trial will engage in a web-based training that provides parents with guidance on how to train their teen to identify potential hazards on the roadway. Parents are also given an opportunity to practice these new skills with teens when watching videos unfold together. The program will take 4 hours to complete and can be done over a two-week period at the parent's convenience.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

The parents and teens in this arm of the study will not receive an intervention of any kind.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Elizabeth O'Neal

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

100+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A survey of 105 parents revealed that a high percentage of children were at risk for various injuries, with poisoning (88%) and fires (85%) being the most concerning, while car crashes posed a lower risk (18%).

Despite the high risk of poisoning and fires, parents showed a greater interest in learning about these topics, particularly poisoning (81%) and car crashes (49%), indicating a disconnect between perceived risks and parental interests in injury prevention education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Do urban parents' interests in safety topics match their children's injury risks? McDonald, EM., Solomon, BS., Shields, WC., et al.[2007]

The DriveFocus™ intervention, consisting of six sessions, significantly improved the ability of young novice drivers (average age 18.6) to detect and respond to critical roadway information, as evidenced by a reduction in driving errors.

Participants showed a notable decrease in visual scanning errors and adjustments to stimuli, with statistical significance in all measured areas, indicating the potential effectiveness of this training program in enhancing driving skills and safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot Efficacy of a DriveFocus™ Intervention on the Driving Performance of Young Drivers. Alvarez, L., Classen, S., Medhizadah, S., et al.[2020]

The adapted Checkpoints Program was successfully implemented in driver education for 231 parent-teen dyads, leading to increased parental awareness of teen driving risks and improved management practices.

Parents who participated in the program were more likely to establish driving agreements and enforce restrictions on their teens' driving under high-risk conditions, such as inclement weather and specific road types.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of a brief group parent-teen intervention in driver education to reduce teenage driver injury risk: a pilot study. Zakrajsek, JS., Shope, JT., Ouimet, MC., et al.[2021]

Nineteen studies reviewed showed that various hazard anticipation training methods, such as computer programs and simulations, improved young drivers' skills in recognizing potential hazards, but most only measured short-term outcomes.

None of the studies assessed the actual impact of these training programs on reducing crash rates, highlighting the need for future research to evaluate long-term effects and real-world driving safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Review of Hazard Anticipation Training Programs for Young Drivers. McDonald, CC., Goodwin, AH., Pradhan, AK., et al.[2019]

Parents who participated in an individualized, three-part safety education program recognized more home hazards (9.4 vs. 8.4) compared to those who received standard education, indicating improved safety knowledge.

The intervention group also had a lower mean hazard score (2.4 vs. 3.0) in their homes, suggesting that the tailored safety education led to better safety practices, although reported accidents were similar between both groups.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Safety education in a pediatric primary care setting. Kelly, B., Sein, C., McCarthy, PL.[2007]

Many parents are aware that larger vehicles are generally safer for teenagers, yet they often choose smaller or less safe vehicles like sports cars and SUVs for their teens, which can lead to increased risk in crashes.

Despite understanding the importance of safety features, such as side airbags and electronic stability control, few parents prioritize these when selecting vehicles for their teenagers, resulting in many teens driving vehicles with inferior safety ratings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Choice of teenagers' vehicles and views on vehicle safety: survey of parents of novice teenage drivers. Hellinga, LA., McCartt, AT., Haire, ER.[2007]

A training program focused on hazard anticipation significantly improved the scanning behavior of younger drivers (ages 18-21), with trained drivers looking at relevant risk areas 64.4% of the time compared to 37.4% for untrained drivers.

The training effects were evident even in different driving situations, suggesting that this type of training could effectively enhance hazard awareness and potentially reduce crash involvement among young drivers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Can younger drivers be trained to scan for information that will reduce their risk in roadway traffic scenarios that are hard to identify as hazardous? Pradhan, AK., Pollatsek, A., Knodler, M., et al.[2021]

The High Risk Adolescent Trauma Prevention Program effectively changed the attitudes of 351 high-risk adolescents regarding dangerous behaviors like drinking and driving, as shown by a pretest-posttest evaluation.

These positive attitude changes were still noticeable twelve months later, although there was a slight decline in their strength, indicating the program's lasting impact on participants' perceptions of risky behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of a hospital based educational program on adolescent attitudes toward drinking and driving. Dearing, B., Caston, RJ., Babin, J.[2017]

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]

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]

A study involving 26 teen drivers used an event-triggered video device to capture risky driving behaviors, allowing for parental feedback through weekly reviews, which significantly reduced dangerous driving events among at-risk teens.

This innovative approach extends parental guidance beyond the initial learning phase, suggesting that technology can play a crucial role in improving teen driving safety even after they obtain their licenses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Extending parental mentoring using an event-triggered video intervention in rural teen drivers. McGehee, DV., Raby, M., Carney, C., et al.[2007]

Citations

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4483193/

Effectiveness of Parent-Focused Interventions to Increase ...

We critically reviewed recent parent-directed teen driving interventions in order to summarize their success in meeting stated goals.

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centerwatch.com

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Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers

This study will test an intervention that was developed to improve parents' driving instruction of teens' hazard anticipation skills ...

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A Review of Hazard Anticipation Training Programs for ...

In all studies, young drivers showed improvement in selected hazard anticipation outcomes but none investigated crash effects. Conclusions. Although there is ...

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withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-interaction-parent-offspring-8-2024-c5f44

Hazard Anticipation Program for Motor Vehicle Accidents

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Hazard Anticipation Program for Parents of Teen Drivers? Research shows that hazard anticipation training ...

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sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X15000713

A Review of Hazard Anticipation Training Programs for ...

In all studies, young drivers showed improvement in selected hazard anticipation outcomes but none investigated crash effects. Conclusions. Although there is ...

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health.ny.gov

health.ny.gov/prevention/injury_prevention/children/toolkits/teen_driving/teen_toolkit.htm

Teen Driving Safety Toolkit

This toolkit provides a variety of materials and parental management tools/resources to promote teen driver safety practices in your community.

7.

nationwidechildrens.org

nationwidechildrens.org/newsroom/news-releases/2025/05/cirp_vehicleage_safety

Study Finds Teens Driving Older Vehicles Have Increased ...

The study found that teen drivers (15-18 years) were more likely than middle-aged drivers (31-55 years) to drive vehicles older than 15 years ...