ANN ARBOR, MI
Toyota’s new Risk-ATTEND program, available now on Toyota’s TeenDrive365.com, is making a difference in teen driving safety by building critical hazard anticipation skills. Created by Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in partnership with Discovery Education and UMass-Amherst, this web-based training program helps young drivers identify and respond to common driving hazards. Recognizing that teens face unique challenges on the road, the program emphasizes improving scanning behaviors, a skill often underdeveloped in novice drivers.
Initial results are promising. After training, 84% of the 53 teen participants showed a marked improvement in safety, including an increase in full stops at stop signs and enhanced accuracy in hazard anticipation, as measured by eye-tracking. According to CSRC principal scientist Zhaonan Sun, the training addresses critical errors like poor scanning and distraction, which are common factors in teen driving accidents. By simulating real-world driving situations, such as obscured intersections or hidden driveways, Risk-ATTEND allows teens to safely learn and practice these skills online, without the need for advanced equipment.
Toyota’s innovative approach is making driving safety accessible on any device, allowing parents, educators, and communities to support safer driving behaviors.
Click HERE to learn how Toyota is turning research into real-world solutions to create safer roads for everyone.