The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will launch a new young driver program this summer to better prepare teenagers for safe driving.

Research shows that more than 95% of novice driver crashes are caused by driver error. In 2018, 2,121 people were killed in a car accident involving a teenage driver. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This summer, the virtual driving assessment system will be provided in selected CHOP primary care locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey through US$4 million from Pennsylvania and New Jersey New Jersey Insurance GroupThe plan is to fully implement the plan at most CHOP Care Network sites in the next four years.

“This program is the first of its kind in the world. For novice drivers, this is an exciting opportunity to participate in interactive virtual driving and assessments to prepare for safe driving,” the founder and scientific Expert Dr. Flora Winston said. Director of CHOP Center for Injury Research and Prevention.

“Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among young people in the United States. With the support of NJM in this key project, we can improve the safety of young drivers and help reshape the pediatric care of our young patients.”

The Virtual Driving Evaluation Program is the CHOP Nursing Network, Injury Research and Prevention Center and Possibility item, It reimagined the way CHOP provides primary care.

Dr. Lisa Biggs, CHOP’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: “This new collaboration is going beyond traditional boundaries, focusing on improving the health of young people, with a focus on driving.”Our teenage patients and their families look to us for health and wellness in all other areas. Through virtual driving assessment, we can help them successfully and safely through early driving. “

“In a risk-free virtual driving environment, young drivers will be able to understand how they manage common collision-related hazards and receive customized real-time feedback to improve key proactive and responsive skills, which will help them gain confidence And once they are actually on the road, they can drive more safely,” explained Dr. Alex Fiks, Director of CHOP Clinical Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness Center.

NJM Insurance Group is also a strong advocate for young people’s driving safety. The auto insurance company has its own youth driving safety program, which includes “shared keys,” a program designed to increase parental involvement. Share the Keys is designed based on research conducted by the CHOP Injury Research Center.

NJM’s Director of Consumer Safety said: “It is essential to provide young drivers and their parents with the tools they need to make better choices while driving.” Violet Marrero.

She added: “The project will help change the way young people prepare to drive and serve as a powerful complement to the shared key program and our efforts to help young drivers develop safe habits as they grow up.”

The virtual driving assessment system uses the Ready-Assess software developed by Diagnostic driving company, A Philadelphia-based technology company spun off from CHOP. The software has been verified in cooperation with more than 40,000 driver license applicants Ohio Department of Public Safety It is now integrated into the state’s driver education and training program.

The virtual driving assessment program is now available to adolescent patients at five CHOP primary care facilities in Pennsylvania: Flourtown, CHOP’s Philadelphia campus, Chadds Ford, West Grove, and Cobbs Creek. It is also a site in Somers Point, New Jersey.