Between 2015 and 2019, speed-related motor vehicle fatalities accounted for 33% of teen roadway deaths in Kentucky. Ford Driving Skills for Life and GHSA provided a grant to the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) to educate teens about the importance of safe driving by implementing the Kentucky-specific Checkpoints™ program.
This evidence-based curriculum, developed by the National Institutes of Health, helps families manage the risks associated with teen driving, including speeding, through instruction and developing a parent-teen driving agreement.
KOHS recruited and trained community educators with the Checkpoints™ Train the Trainer program to implement the curriculum in their locality. These trained educators facilitated the Checkpoints™ program in 16 high schools, with 56% serving rural communities.
Assessment and Evaluation
KOHS found success with QR codes for easy access and gas gift card drawings for submitting the pre- and post-test evaluations. Survey analysis found increases in teen and parent comprehension of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) requirements overall, supervision and real-world practice. Knowledge of GDL laws by teens increased by almost 30% and more than 40% of parents indicated a better understanding of the need for real-world practice.
Continuing the Program
With support from the Kentucky Violence and Injury Prevention Program and CDC funding, the Kentucky Checkpoints™ program continues to be offered.
All communities that participated in this project plan to continue offering the Checkpoints™ program to educate and engage parents and teens so they take action to reduce speeding and other risky driving behaviors.