Teen drivers complete the learner permit period with difficulty in executing a variety of driving behaviors. The ability to identity these skill deficits during the learner permit phase would significantly advance teen driver research. The objective of this study was to develop a safe, develop- mentally appropriate, and challenging assessment of teen drivers during the learner permit phase that can assess a wide range of specific driving tasks and identify safety-relevant errors (classified as critical errors). The On-Road Driving Assessment for Learner Teen Drivers (tODA) was developed and tested for feasibility of administration by professional driving evaluators. Two assessment routes were developed and administered to 28 teen permit holders at approximately 12 and 24 weeks into their permit holding period. Forty licensed adult drivers drove the routes to begin to establish a criterion standard for route performance; adult participants were required to meet safety and performance standards to be included in the analyses. Three teen participants (10.7%) had the early tODA terminated for safety concerns; one of these participants (3.5%) also bad the late tODA terminated for safety concerns. In addition, two teen participants (7.1 %) did not complete the highway module of the late tODA secondary to teen or parental request. No adults were terminated, and none skipped the highway module. Preliminary data suggest that the tODA expands the repertoire of driving assessments by providing a means to safely and systematically assess drivers with varying levels of expertise in the context of practical evaluations of driver performance as well as for research purposes.
