Preventing Motor Vehicle Crashes Among Young Drivers: Evaluation of the Checkpoints Program Presented by the American Automobile Association

Background: * Automobile crash risks are highest right after licensure and decline rapidly for about 6 months and then gradually for years, regardless of the amount of supervised practice driving or age at licensure. The only approaches to this problem that have demonstrated effectiveness are Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) and parental management. * The Checkpoints Program consists of persuasive messages and materials designed to increase adoption of the Checkpoints Parent-Teen Driving Agreement and to improve parents\' ability to set limits on higher-risk driving privileges for novice drivers. Researchers are interested in determining whether expanding the Checkpoints Program to an online version (instead of through the mail) can help improve parent limit-setting in connection with the program. Objectives: * To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of conducting an online version of the Checkpoints Program through American Automobile Association (AAA) clubs. * To test rates of parental intervention and limit-setting after participation in the Checkpoints Program. Eligibility: - Parents whose teenage children are enrolled in AAA-affiliated driving schools. Design: * Parents with children at the permit stage of driver\'s education will be recruited through AAA clubs and will be asked to visit a designated Web site to sign up for the program. * Parents will provide consent and complete the baseline survey, and will be assigned to random groups to test different versions of the Checkpoints Program (the intervention or a control group Web site). * The intervention program will contain videos, regular e-mails, and newsletters on setting parental limits and information on specific teen driving risks. The control program will provide information on various topics related to the licensing procedure and safe driving, but no specific information on teen driving risks. * A follow-up assessment will be conducted 1 month after the teenager receives his or her license.