Jingzhen Yang, PhD, MPH - US grants

PROJECT SUMMARY Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States. Teen drivers who have committed a traffic violation are at even greater risk. However, most parent-focused interven- tions target teen drivers during the learner phase, with very few interventions implemented during the unsuper- vised independent driving phase or which target high-risk teen drivers, such as those with traffic violations. Advances in technology, ranging from in-vehicle devices to smartphone applications, offer a new avenue to enhance teens? safe driving. However, little is known how to use this technology to actively engage parents, and subsequently, influence teens? safe driving practices. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of providing driving feedback (with and without parent training) on reducing risky driving events, unsafe driving behaviors, and recidivism (subsequent traffic violation) among high-risk teen drivers. Our central hypothesis is that driving feedback via a technoligical device and app will reduce risky driving events and behaviors, and that augmenting feedback with parent training will further improve outcomes. We will test the following specific aims: Aim 1: Determine the effects of the intervention on reducing teens? risky driving events and unsafe driv- ing behaviors. Aim 2: Determine the effects of the intervention on increasing frequency and quality of parent- teen communication about safe driving practices. Aim 3: Determine the effects of the intervention on decreas- ing teen traffic violation recidivism. We will enroll teen drivers (16 to 17 years) who committed a moving viola- tion along with their parents/legal guardians (n=240 dyads) from the Ohio Franklin County Juvenile Traffic Court following the teens? manadatory court hearing. Enrolled parent-teen dyads will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 study groups (n= 80/group): Group 1, control group with no device feedback nor parent training; Group 2, device feedback to teens only, providing no feedback nor training to parents; or Group 3, device feedback to teens and parents, who will also receive individualized virtual training with a traffic safety commu- nication specialist. The expected outcome will establish the effectiveness of in-vehicle device feedback tech- nology augmented with parent training in reducing risky driving events, unsafe driving behaviors and recidivism. Our project is significant because it targets safe driving among high-risk teens who have committed a traffic violation. The study is innovative because it partners with the local court system, and utilizes novel in- vehicle technologies to provide objectively measured study outcomes. The findings of this study will have a significant impact on juvenile traffic court?s practices and policies aimed to improve teen driving safety by re- ducing crashes, injuries, and deaths.

PROJECT SUMMARY Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States. Teen drivers who have committed a traffic violation are at an even higher risk of MVC-related injuries and deaths compared to their counterparts without a traffic violation. While parent engagement interventions are an effective strategy to improve driving safety among teens of all risk profiles, these interventions have not been translated and tested among high- risk teen drivers such as those with a traffic violation. Furthermore, to date, no studies have examined the cost- effectiveness of interventions that promote safe teen driving practices. This proposed study addresses princi- pal gaps in teen driving research by translating an evidence-based universal intervention to a high-risk, yet un- derstudied, population of teen drivers with a traffic violation. This study will test, in a hybrid randomized controlled trial (RCT), the implementation, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the new intervention, Steering Teens Safe+ (STS+) that integrates in-vehicle driving feedback technology with parent communication training. Our long- term goal is to inform juvenile traffic courts? adoption and implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective in- terventions into high-risk driving populations, and reduce MVCs and MVC-related injuries and deaths. Our three specific aims are: Aim 1: Determine if both intervention groups are superior to and more cost-effective than the control group on the outcomes of parent-teen communication, teens? risky driving behaviors, traffic violation re- cidivism, and MVCs. Aim 2: Examine differences in intervention outcomes and cost-effectiveness by mode of deliv- ery (expert- vs. peer-delivered intervention). Aim 3: Identify the contextual factors associated with adoption and im- plementation of the intervention. We will recruit 290 parent-teen dyads from rural and urban juvenile traffic courts in Ohio following their mandatory court hearing. Each dyad will be comprised of a teen driver (ages 16 to 17) who has committed a moving violation and a parent/legal guardian. Enrolled dyads will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 study groups: 1) Expert-delivered intervention, 2) Peer-delivered intervention, and 3) Control. Our central hypothesis is that the peer-delivered intervention is non-inferior (i.e., not much worse) to and more cost-effective than the ex- pert-delivered intervention and that both intervention groups are superior to the control. This project is significant because it represents a substantial step forward in national research focused on teen drivers, an area in which implementation research has been underrepresented. This study is innovative because it will recruit high-risk teen drivers through a unique partnership with rural and urban traffic courts, utilize cutting-edge in-vehicle driving feed- back technology, and test the mode of intervention delivery. The findings will facilitate the widespread adoption, implementation, and dissemination of STS+ in rural and urban settings and will have an impact on juvenile traf- fic courts? practices and policies aimed to improve teen driving safety by reducing MVCs and MVC-related injuries and deaths.