The Impetus for the Development of a New Risk Management Training Program for Young Teen Drivers

In the U.S., 16 and 17 year-old drivers have horrendous motor vehicle crash rates. Young teen drivers are also vastly over-involved in fatal traffic crashes. In order to better understand the causes of this teen driver crash problem and then develop appropriate countermeasures, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety commissioned the first comprehensive re-examination in more than 20 years of what novice drivers need to learn and do in order to be safe drivers. The resultant research report (Lonero, et al., 1995) led to the creation of an innovative, computer-based risk management training program for teen drivers, released in February, 1998.