With newly licensed teenagers most at risk of a vehicle crash in the first year after obtaining their driver’s license, it is important to provide these young drivers with every available resource. Today, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is proud to announce that more than 10,000 teens have completed virtual driving assessments (VDAs) across 28 sites in the CHOP Primary Care network since the program’s launch in 2020.
The VDA is a 15-minute evaluation that exposes teens to the most common serious crash scenarios in a safe simulated driving environment. Based on measurements of the teen’s ability to drive safely and avoid crashes, a personalized feedback report is created that provides insights and resources to help teens acquire the skills and experience needed to drive safely.
“Having a new teen driver can be daunting for parents,” said Alexander Fiks, MD, a primary care pediatrician, director of Clinical Futures, and director of the Possibilities Project at CHOP. “The virtual driving assessment is such an important addition to primary care because it guides families and teens on how best to prepare to safely achieve this milestone. Families embrace the opportunity.”
“As doctors, we don’t wait for harm to occur—we assess, identify risks, and intervene early to prevent it. The same principle applies to teen driving. Identifying and correcting performance errors before they’re on the road isn’t just training—it’s lifesaving prevention,” said Flaura Winston, MD, PhD, founder of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at CHOP.
A collaboration between CHOP and NJM Insurance Group (NJM) to offer the VDA began in 2020 at 5 Primary Care sites in the CHOP network. Through this partnership, the program has expanded across network sites in Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
Not only are the teens who take a VDA gaining valuable insight often prior to getting their license, they are also helping researchers in CIRP gain valuable data and insight into driver behavior that improves the feedback. A landmark 2023 study published in the journal Pediatrics and led by CHOP researchers found that driving skills measured at the time of licensure on a VDA helps predict crash risk in newly licensed young drivers.
Families of CHOP patients interested in scheduling an appointment should contact their CHOP Primary Care office to arrange for them to take the VDA at their next well visit or schedule a separate visit.
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With newly licensed teenagers most at risk of a vehicle crash in the first year after obtaining their driver’s license, it is important to provide these young drivers with every available resource. Today, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is proud to announce that more than 10,000 teens have completed virtual driving assessments (VDAs) across 28 sites in the CHOP Primary Care network since the program’s launch in 2020.
The VDA is a 15-minute evaluation that exposes teens to the most common serious crash scenarios in a safe simulated driving environment. Based on measurements of the teen’s ability to drive safely and avoid crashes, a personalized feedback report is created that provides insights and resources to help teens acquire the skills and experience needed to drive safely.
“Having a new teen driver can be daunting for parents,” said Alexander Fiks, MD, a primary care pediatrician, director of Clinical Futures, and director of the Possibilities Project at CHOP. “The virtual driving assessment is such an important addition to primary care because it guides families and teens on how best to prepare to safely achieve this milestone. Families embrace the opportunity.”
“As doctors, we don’t wait for harm to occur—we assess, identify risks, and intervene early to prevent it. The same principle applies to teen driving. Identifying and correcting performance errors before they’re on the road isn’t just training—it’s lifesaving prevention,” said Flaura Winston, MD, PhD, founder of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at CHOP.
A collaboration between CHOP and NJM Insurance Group (NJM) to offer the VDA began in 2020 at 5 Primary Care sites in the CHOP network. Through this partnership, the program has expanded across network sites in Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.
Not only are the teens who take a VDA gaining valuable insight often prior to getting their license, they are also helping researchers in CIRP gain valuable data and insight into driver behavior that improves the feedback. A landmark 2023 study published in the journal Pediatrics and led by CHOP researchers found that driving skills measured at the time of licensure on a VDA helps predict crash risk in newly licensed young drivers.
Families of CHOP patients interested in scheduling an appointment should contact their CHOP Primary Care office to arrange for them to take the VDA at their next well visit or schedule a separate visit.
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CHOP and NJM Insurance Group Celebrate Virtual Driving Assessments and Expanded Availability Across CHOP’s Primary Care Network
Thanks to a collaboration between CHOP and NJM, thousands of adolescent drivers have completed VDA to better prepare them for navigating roads once they obtain their driver’s license.
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Ben Leach
Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP)