Evaluation of a dutch educational "Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)" prevention program for driving schools

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Traffic Safety Education
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Driving while intoxicated (DWI) remains a significant public health and safety concern.
• Effective prevention strategies targeting young drivers are crucial for reducing alcohol-related traffic incidents.
• Driving schools represent a key setting for implementing DWI prevention interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a comprehensive DWI prevention program for driving school students.
• To assess the program's impact on knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and self-reported DWI behaviors.
• To determine the long-term effects of the program over a one-year follow-up period.

Main Methods:

• A pretest-posttest, one-year follow-up evaluation design was employed.
• The study included 208 students who participated in the DWI prevention program.
• A control group of 228 students received traditional driving school curriculum without the DWI program.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge regarding DWI.
• Attitudes and behavioral intentions related to DWI were already positive at the pretest stage.
• The program showed a positive effect on reducing the likelihood of riding with an intoxicated driver.

Conclusions:

• The DWI prevention program effectively enhanced knowledge among driving school students.
• While attitudes and intentions were pre-existing, the program positively influenced a key risk behavior: riding with an intoxicated driver.
• This intervention offers a promising approach for DWI prevention within driving school settings.