Aligning Iowa Driver Education Curriculum and Standards Toward A Zero Fatalities Vision

Effective driver education should provide a solid foundation for novice drivers in establishing good driving habits and being prepared for the variety of driving conditions present in Iowa. Accomplishing this requires a scientific approach and data driven to understand the safety issues and challenges for novice drivers in order to develop a driver education curriculum that meets their needs. On the other hand, development and maintenance of an entire Driver Education program similar to what is currently available from vendors is a rather resource and time intensive undertaking. This project takes a balanced approach in addressing the core driver education needs in Iowa while leveraging existing resources. Specifically, the project will accomplish the following: (1) compare the current Iowa driver education curriculum against national/regional programs and standards and identify gaps; (2) survey professional and parent driving instructors in Iowa to identify gaps and best practices; (3) identify novice driver safety issues through a summary of available information and analyses of the Iowa crash data; (4) identify gaps in the Iowa Driver Education curriculum using the information gathered in the above activities; (5) develop curriculum content for the most critical gaps; (6) develop an outline of suggested content for a driving curriculum that meet the needs of novice drivers in Iowa; (7) provide guidance for incorporation of the proposed curriculum and developed content use and incorporation by vendors and driving instructors; (8) provide guidance to assist private vendors/instructors on updating teaching and delivery methods; (9) develop guidelines for adoption of curriculums by private vendors for Iowa; (10) develop recommendations on teaching and delivery methods; and (11) draft language to incorporate changes into the Iowa Code.

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Active
  • Funding: $287052
  • Contract Numbers:

    SPR-RE22(019)-8H-00

  • Sponsor Organizations:

    Iowa Department of Transportation

    800 Lincoln Way
    Ames, IA  United States  50010
  • Managing Organizations:

    Iowa Department of Transportation

    800 Lincoln Way
    Ames, IA  United States  50010
  • Project Managers:

    Clute, Khyle

  • Performing Organizations:

    Iowa State University, Ames

    Center for Transportation Research and Education
    2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4700
    Ames, IA  United States  50010-8664
  • Principal Investigators:

    Hallmark, Shauna

  • Start Date: 20220601
  • Expected Completion Date: 20240531
  • Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01910235
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: Iowa Department of Transportation
  • Contract Numbers: SPR-RE22(019)-8H-00
  • Files: RIP, STATEDOT
  • Created Date: Feb 27 2024 5:50PM