This is an outreach peer-to-peer program that seeks to save lives and prevent injury among youth through education, empowerment, and peer-led outreach.
Benefits to Texas Transportation Safety
Young drivers are at an increased risk of crashing compared to older age groups. The work associated with the YTS program to help schools implement the TDS program benefited the state of Texas by increasing transportation safety efforts. Any program must be continually evaluated and improved to increase its effectiveness, which is why this project was initiated. The combination of the TDS program’s targeted, peer-to-peer programming and innovative technology showed promise in promoting and sustaining safer driving behavior among teens, contributing to safer roadways in Texas.
Project Need and Approach
Teen drivers, especially those aged 15–18, are at a higher risk of traffic crashes compared to older drivers, often due to risky behaviors such as distracted driving, lack of seat belt use, and driving under the influence. The Teens in the Driver’s Seat (TDS) program, which started in 2002 in San Antonio, Texas, aims to address these issues through a peer-to-peer approach. By focusing on high school students and providing them with the tools to promote safe driving behaviors, TDS has expanded to 29 states and developed various data collection methods, including surveys, field observation studies, and a smartphone app that rewards distraction-free driving.
This project evaluated data collected between 2019 and 2023 from these initiatives to understand the impact of TDS on teen driving behaviors. Data sources analyzed included annual surveys on risky driving attitudes, student-led field observations of behaviors such as distracted driving and seat belt use, and the You in the Driver Seat (YDS) app. By utilizing data dashboards and in-depth analyses, the project aimed to assess the effectiveness of these efforts in reducing risky behaviors and improving road safety for teens in Texas.
Project Activities
2025
Peer Program Outreach and Engagement
Through the TDS and UDS programs, safety education was delivered to 225 schools across 23 TxDOT districts, reaching over 610,189 students. Outreach included presentations, assemblies, workshops, and interactive activities such as the All-Star Program, Zero Hero, Extra Mile, and social media contests. Notably, 25% of participating schools were in strategic counties identified for elevated crash risk and other concerns. Overall, a total of 82 safe driving and impaired driving prevention activities were completed at program schools or within the community, reaching an estimated 14,745 participants. Lastly, leadership opportunities were provided, which included the facilitation of 11 meetings for the advisory board reaching 24 youth leaders.
Resource Development & Distribution
Distribution of 721 resources and peer leadership opportunities were also a focus of the project period. An estimated 685 resource kits consisting of PI&E materials for a total of xxx materials focused on traffic safety distributed. Additionally, staff attended four safety conferences but did not record the number of resources distributed at these events. Lastly, this focus also included the development of 10 new resources for program schools to implement in the following school year.
Evaluation and Analysis
The project also administered 5 resource and program evaluations to program schools, which included Zero Hero seat belt and distractions and annual school surveys (measuring knowledge and behavior). A total of 6 schools completed the distraction activity and 8 completed the high school activity. Additionally, a total of 7,969 Texas high school students completed the annual survey.
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
A focus group within the Houston District was conducted with agencies who also support youth within the region. The focus group aimed to understand barriers and gain insights from partners to better understand needs within these high-risk communities. Additionally, the project worked with 3 safety coalitions to measure accessibility, usability and inclusivity of our education materials. Findings led to improvements on the website, language, content, accessibility and designs.
2024
The TDS project involved the analysis of multiple data sources, starting with survey data collected from 2019 to 2023. The surveys assessed teen attitudes toward risky behaviors, including texting while driving and seat belt use, and tracked behaviors over the previous 30 days. The data were entered into a PowerBI dashboard, allowing the Youth Transportation Safety (YTS) team to explore it from various perspectives. A field observation study was conducted on three key risky behaviors: distracted driving, seat belt use, and distracted walking. These observations were analyzed pre- and post-TDS outreach to assess the program’s effectiveness in changing teen behavior.
The survey data analysis showed that teens recognized top risky behaviors that increased their risk of crashing, such as not wearing a seat belt, texting while driving, and drinking alcohol. The analysis showed that while most teens report that they did not text while driving (68 percent) or use social media while driving (80 percent) in the prior 30 days, work still remains to be done. These technology-related distractions were common behaviors even though respondents considered those behaviors somewhat or completely unacceptable. Additionally, data from the YDS app, which rewards teens for distraction-free driving, were analyzed for trends in safe driving behaviors among users aged 15–25. The analysis showed that long-term app use improved driving scores, with older teens (19–25) demonstrating safer driving compared to younger teens. The app’s data provided insight into how sustained engagement with technology can help reinforce safe driving habits among teen drivers.
Project Title: Statewide Peer-to-Peer Traffic Safety Program for Youth Ages 11-25
Project Start and End Dates: Ongoing
Author List: Lisa Minjares-Kyle
Sponsor/Funding Source: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)