Safe Driving News Post Archives

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Training Young Drivers on Driving Essentials

Elizabeth Porter2024-04-11T14:28:47+00:00

April 11, 2024, Durham, NC – April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, which provides an important opportunity to spread awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and strategies to prevent it. Distractions can come in various forms for drivers, including using a mobile device, eating or drinking, talking to passengers, or fidgeting with a navigation device or radio while driving. Distracted driving can significantly increase the chance of vehicle crashes as well as death or injury for drivers and passengers. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that approximately 3,000 people die in crashes involving distracted driving [...]

Promoting Safe Driving in Teens with Plan My Ride: Training Young Drivers on Driving EssentialsElizabeth Porter2024-04-11T14:28:47+00:00

New Version of Plan My Ride Available Now

Elizabeth Porter2024-03-15T16:39:30+00:00

March 13, 2024, Durham, NC – iRT is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the Plan My Ride program. Plan My Ride is an interactive, multimedia, eLearning program developed with and for young drivers to teach safe driving skills to prevent distracted and impaired driving. Unlike other safe driving educational programs, Plan My Ride uses a science-backed and theory-driven approach to change behavior by teaching concrete, practical strategies to avoid impaired and distracted driving, and providing opportunities for young drivers to practice the skills learned in 360-degree virtual scenarios. The updated version of Plan My Ride contains [...]

New Version of Plan My Ride Available NowElizabeth Porter2024-03-15T16:39:30+00:00

iRT Research Scientist Presents on Innovative Solution to Preventing the Problem of Impaired Driving Among Young People

Elizabeth Porter2024-02-22T19:29:00+00:00

February 22, 2024, Durham, NC – iRT Research Scientist Dr. Rebecca Stelter presented at SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day gathering last month to discuss the problem and prevention of substance use and impaired driving among youth. SAMHSA’s Prevention Day gathering is the largest annual, national event dedicated to advancing substance misuse prevention. Each year, substance use prevention professionals, researchers, and advocates gather to share current developments and discuss future research and innovations in substance misuse prevention. This year’s gathering took place in conjunction with CADCA’s National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, Maryland. Dr. Stelter led a session entitled Sober Lives, Safer Roads: [...]

iRT Research Scientist Presents on Innovative Solution to Preventing the Problem of Impaired Driving Among Young PeopleElizabeth Porter2024-02-22T19:29:00+00:00

Addressing the Nationwide Addiction Crisis with Media Literacy Education, Mentoring, Mindfulness, and More

Elizabeth Porter2024-01-21T01:00:53+00:00

January 17, 2024, Durham, NC – The federal government and medical facilities across the United States have made substantial efforts to impede growth of the national opioid crisis, but trends in substance use have evolved in recent years making it increasingly difficult to thwart the addiction crisis. Updates on the decades-long opioid epidemic and prevention efforts have consistently made headlines as millions of Americans have faced opioid use disorders in the last three years. However, as rates of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl use continue to climb, it is vital to spread awareness of the pervasiveness of polysubstance use, in addition to [...]

Addressing the Nationwide Addiction Crisis with Media Literacy Education, Mentoring, Mindfulness, and MoreElizabeth Porter2024-01-21T01:00:53+00:00

iRT Research Scientist to Present at SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day Gathering

Elizabeth Porter2024-01-19T20:18:14+00:00

December 20, 2023, Durham, NC – iRT Research Scientist Dr. Rebecca Stelter will present at SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day gathering at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on January 29, 2024. SAMHSA’s Prevention Day is the largest annual, national event dedicated to advancing substance misuse prevention. The 20th annual Prevention Day will take place in conjunction with CADCA’s National Leadership Forum and will provide opportunities for substance use prevention professionals, researchers, and advocates to share current developments and discuss future research and innovations in substance misuse prevention. Dr. Stelter will lead a live session entitled Sober lives, [...]

iRT Research Scientist to Present at SAMHSA’s 20th Prevention Day GatheringElizabeth Porter2024-01-19T20:18:14+00:00

Use the Drugged Driving Essentials Training to Learn About and Prevent Drug-Impaired Driving

Elizabeth Porter2023-12-20T20:27:32+00:00

December 20, 2023, Durham, NC – Many drivers are aware of the dangers of and steps to prevent alcohol-impaired driving due to having completed driver education courses and having been exposed to many public awareness campaigns designed to raise awareness about the risks of drunk driving. However, fewer drivers have received information about the risks of drug-impaired driving, and prevention professionals have reported significant gaps in drugged driving education. The lack of drugged driving training resources for general audiences may contribute to dangerous misconceptions about drugged driving and impact drivers’ decisions related to driving under the influence of drugs. Recent research [...]

Use the Drugged Driving Essentials Training to Learn About and Prevent Drug-Impaired DrivingElizabeth Porter2023-12-20T20:27:32+00:00

Online Training to Help Prevention Professionals Plan Drugged Driving Intervention Strategies

Elizabeth Porter2023-12-20T19:50:39+00:00

December 20, 2023, Durham, NC – Prevention professionals have vital responsibilities to plan and implement interventions to combat the risks of impaired driving and promote public health and safety. Many guides, toolkits, and resources exist to help prevention professionals plan and implement effective strategies to prevent drunk driving; however, prevention professionals are still in need of resources to guide their prevention efforts related to drug-impaired driving. A recent study with prevention professionals from across the U.S. working in areas of substance use prevention and highway safety found that prevention professionals don’t feel confident about implementing interventions to prevent drugged driving in [...]

Online Training to Help Prevention Professionals Plan Drugged Driving Intervention StrategiesElizabeth Porter2023-12-20T19:50:39+00:00

Plan My Ride Receives a LearnX Award for Best Accessibility

Elizabeth Porter2023-12-20T18:43:38+00:00

December 20, 2023, Durham, NC – iRT is pleased to announce that it received the 2023 Diamond Award from LearnX® for Best Accessibility in the Best eLearning Design category for the Plan My Ride eLearning course. The annual, international LearnX® Awards program recognizes the most innovative projects and technology solutions of the year that drive and support learning and talent development. Projects that receive a LearnX® Award have been carefully assessed through a quality-driven process and are awarded for the value they bring to enterprises of various structures and sizes. The Plan My Ride course received a Diamond Award, the second [...]

Plan My Ride Receives a LearnX Award for Best AccessibilityElizabeth Porter2023-12-20T18:43:38+00:00

iRT to Develop Virtual Reality Training for Law Enforcement to Detect Impaired Drivers

Elizabeth Porter2023-09-20T18:05:07+00:00

September 20, 2023, Durham, NC – Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of preventable death for both children and adults, and many of these crashes are caused by drug- and alcohol-impaired driving. Despite the dangers associated with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, recent data has shown that only a small portion of self-reported impaired drivers are identified by law enforcement as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Providing standardized training to law enforcement officers to help them build or refine their skills and confidence in detecting impaired drivers, particularly those impaired by drugs other than [...]

iRT to Develop Virtual Reality Training for Law Enforcement to Detect Impaired DriversElizabeth Porter2023-09-20T18:05:07+00:00

iRT Researchers Lead a Session on Substance Misuse for Youth at the Teaming with Teens Event

Elizabeth Porter2023-07-19T17:25:04+00:00

May 22, 2023, Durham, NC – iRT Research Scientists Drs. Alison Parker, Allison Schmidt, and Rebecca Stelter presented at the 2023 Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina Teaming with Teens virtual event on May 6. The Teaming with Teens event brings child welfare professionals, caregivers, youth, and young adults together to discuss topics that impact youth in foster care. The focus of the May event was on substance misuse. As part of the Teaming with Teens event, iRT’s experts led a 2-hour session for youth and young adults entitled “Making Healthy Choices as a Teen/Young Adult.” 230 youth and young [...]

iRT Researchers Lead a Session on Substance Misuse for Youth at the Teaming with Teens EventElizabeth Porter2023-07-19T17:25:04+00:00