“I find all the exercises useful. I think these are all great suggestions, very informative and something that will stick with me.”
“I look forward to trying the exercises when I get on the road again. The textbook was user friendly and easy.”
“The sports analogies really helped get the points across. The text was a great size. The tone was conversational, which helped keep my attention.”
“They were useful, yes. The tunnel vision lesson was valuable. I don't think there were any that were not useful, all were needed. I thought it was a good text, with real life application from sports, etc.”
“I think the textbook is great and doesn't need improving. I learned that I have some dangerous habits while driving and I am gonna start changing them now. Such as smoking and talking on the phone.”
“I don't feel there is anything to suggest, as this course covered pretty much every aspect of safe driving. The visual aids, different techniques and teachings were quite invaluable.”
“The information was very useful and easy to understand.”
“Yes the exercises were useful. I liked them all. I have no suggestions at this time thank you.”
“Yes the exercises were useful especially the ones about tunnel vision. I though the text was very informative and helpful. I learned that even small things can take your focus and vision from the road for too long and make you unsafe.”
“Yes, I know it sounds crazy but I actually enjoyed this exercise. This was well put together with valid research … lead with your eyes is a great new technique.”
“Found the exercises fairly useful. I think the text works well as it is written. Learned that small actions equal big risks.”
“I thought that all these exercises were informative and useful. I learned that speeding is not the answer and can only cause severe consequences. I have also learned that distractions can cause serious accidents.”
“I believe you have all done a great job. I enjoyed the videos especially. Thank you. I engage in risky behavior that I assumed was ok. I mistakenly assumed a blue-tooth was safer than a hand-held phone.”
“I commend you for not making it too much like you're talking to a child.”
“Yes, the exercises were useful. I think everything is clear-cut and scientifically backed up. I can see now how 2 seconds or more is a matter of life or death when driving.”
“Yes, this was actually a very helpful reminder of how seriously compromised my attention is when driving. One of the best tips for me was learning not to target fixate. I do this very often.”
“Yes, these exercises were very helpful. I really feel that all of them had some things that have helped me become a more alert driver.”
“I enjoyed the videos and all the stats on driving … very interesting … great textbook and very helpful … I'll start using the exercises today.”
“The text was pretty good. Yes, I do a lot of things (talk/text, change radio, cd's etc) while driving that I shouldn't.”
“I think that it was good, thanks … seeing the distracted driving drove the point home.”
“These exercises were, indeed, useful and informative. Text was fine. I liked the colorful texts and box inserts. Videos are a great touch!”
White Paper 6: Student Reviews and Evaluation of a New Interactive Online Driver Education Course
At the end of instruction, the students were asked to rate the perceived impact the course had on their driving and safety along fifteen dimensions. The impact was rated with 7 point scales (1=not at all, 4=somewhat, 7=very much). The average for all 50 students along all dimensions was 6.50 on the 7 point scale. Figure 1 shows the mean ratings for each of the 15 items.
Figure 1: Post-course mean student ratings of impact of course on driving dimensions.
Forty-six of the 50 students claimed that the course improved their overall safety on the road (ratings of 5, 6 or 7). Since some of our students do not see themselves as aggressive drivers, these dimensions are less likely to change. The correlation of individual mean ratings with age was r=.06 (n.s.), indicating that the course was equally acceptable to drivers at all age levels.
Drivers of all ages who take the AlertDriver course are safety conscious and willing to discuss safety issues with other drivers online. The enthusiasm and reviews are evidence that interactive online driver education can make a difference in how people drive. The drivers in this sample were extremely receptive to the varying techniques used in the online training.
If you wish to sign up your company, school, organization, or court for an AlertDriver course, please contact Devon Mills at 919.408.0745, or send an email to dmills@intrex.net. The AlertDriver Fleet program is designed for groups: commercial drivers, school bus drivers and teens. The sponsor can specify how the data are set up and how the chat is processed. Group discounts apply.