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Transportation

2007 AARP Driver Safety Program Online Course Evaluation

Research Report

Laura Skufca, AARP Knowledge Management

May 2008


The AARP Driver Safety Program (DSP) is the nation's first and largest classroom course for drivers age 50 and older. To accommodate busier lifestyles, AARP created an online course in 2006. A survey of 1,039 online DSP participants sought to determine whether they had changed any of 17 key driving behaviors (e.g., avoiding left turns or limiting driving) as a result of what they had learned in the online course.

The study found that:

  • Almost all respondents (88%) indicated that they had changed at least one key driving behavior. In fact, the average number of behaviors changed was five.
  • The most common behaviors changed were “always checking blind spots” (79%), “following distance and space cushion” (70%), and “keeping your eyes moving/scanning traffic” (59%). The least cited behavior change was “considering limiting or stopping your driving” (4%).
  • Age and repetition seemed to play significant roles in behavior change. Older participants and participants who had taken the DSP course more than once tended to report more behavior change than younger participants and those who had taken the class for the first time.
  • Satisfaction with the online DSP was very high. Most important, many nonmembers said they would be more likely to join AARP as a result of the course.

This online survey was completed by 1,039 individuals age 45 or older who took the course between August and December, 2007. Further information about the study may be obtained from its author, Laura Skufca, at 202-434-6285. (27 pages)