Driver Testing And Training

		Beginning in the 1980's, TransAnalytics staff have been actively engaged in research to support the development of test procedures and standards of performance for driver's licensing and license renewal.

		For the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT), this work has included studies to enhance the driver examination, driver re-examination, and driver improvement programs implemented by the Commonwealth.

		A Parent-Teen Guidebook and a Mature Driver's Guide represent the products of two, more recent PENNDOT projects for which we served as subject matter experts, and work in progress will result in an updated Driver's Manual and knowledge test for first-time drivers in Pennsylvania.

		More recently, we have developed best practice recommendations for Medical Advisory Board (MAB) practices in States, for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

TransAnalytics' work for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) has defined the domains of functional ability most essential for safe driving while identifying preliminary cutpoints for assigning categories of crash risk.

This work has provided the foundation for a PC-based automated testing system used by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to help evaluate the physical and perceptual-cognitive abilities of drivers who are referred to the licensing agency for medical review. In the private sector, functional abilities screening software developed by TransAnalytics is in use by a prominent network of Continuing Care Retirement Centers (CCRCs) in the mid-Atlantic region, to counsel their residents about how to limit risks and drive safely longer.

This knowledge has also been used to create a home-based assessment program for the American Automobile Association (AAA), for which TransAnalytics provided the functional screening measures and multimedia content, and developed the computer program that will be offered to AAA club members.

		TransAnalytics has been recognized through diverse research efforts in the driver training arena. Complementing current work for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academy of Sciences, to develop "best practice" recommendations for training commercial drivers, we led a NHTSA study to identify the most promising applications of simulation technology for teen/novice driver training.

		A synthesis of current practices for training entry-level commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers was completed by TransAnalytics in 2004. The strategies, tools, and techniques identified in this state-of-the-knowledge document published by TRB will be useful to truck and bus carriers, state agencies. and others interested in improving CMV safety.

		We have developed a training tool that allows drivers to use a PC to track threats in real-world driving videos, with immediate scoring and feedback; this innovative software product can help drivers of all ages improve their search and scanning skills. TransAnalytics staff have been awarded U.S. Patent No. 5888074: "A system for testing and evaluating driver situational awareness".