DxD PDSS

Project Statement

The mission of Diagnostic Driving, Inc. has been to fill the road with safer drivers. By focusing on those most at risk of collisions, teenagers just beginning to drive independently, we aim to develop a reliable pre-screening tool for identifying those in need of more supervised practice before they go on the road alone.

Teens are generally less experienced behind the wheel, and are therefore more likely to get in a collision in hazardous road conditions. By simulating common scenarios in which real-world collisions occur, we intend to leverage data collected to reliably assess each driver's skills and attentiveness to adapting conditions.

Virtual Driving Tests (VDTs)

Dr. Flaura Winston and Venk Kandadai of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) first developed the Simulated Driving Assessment (SDA) as a tool for studying teen driving behaviors and designing interventions to reduce the risk of crashes and dangerous behaviors.

The SDA was commercially adapted with the founding of Diagnostic Driving, Inc. and repurposed into the Virtual Driving Test (VDT). This tool assesses preparedness in drivers seeking a license before they take their On-Road Exam (ORE) at a state licensing facility (e.g. state DMV location).

The VDT was designed to keep both those seeking licensure and state examiners safe from potentially hazardous road conditions caused by skill deficits in applicants.

Published Works

David Grethlein, Flaura K. Winston, Elizabeth Walshe, Sean Tanner, Venk Kandadai, and Santiago Ontañón. 2019. Prediction of Licensing On-Road Exam Outcomes from Virtual Driving Test Data: Novel Method Using Time Series Clustering. Journal of Medical Internet Research. https://doi.org/10.2196/13995
Elizabeth A. Walshe, Michael R. Elliott, Daniel Romer, Shukai Cheng, Allison E. Curry, Tom Seacrist, Natalie Oppenheimer, Abraham J. Wyner, David Grethlein, Alexander K. Gonzalez, Flaura K. Winston. April 2022. Novel Use of a Virtual Driving Assessment to Classify Driver Skill at the Time of Licensure. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2022.04.009
David Grethlein, Vanessa Pirrone, Kathryn N. Devlin, Will Dampier, Zsofia Szep, Flaura K. Winston, Santiago Ontañón, Elizabeth A. Walshe, Kim Malone, Shinika Tillman, Beau M. Ances, Venk Kandadai, Dennis L. Kolson, Brian Wigdahl. August 2022. Examining Virtual Driving Test Performance and its Relationship to individuals with HIV-associated Neurocognitive Disorders. Frontiers in Neuroscience, Translational Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.912766.
Elizabeth A. Walshe, Michael R. Elliot, Shukai Cheng, Daniel Romer, Allison E. Curry, David Grethlein, Alexander K. Gonzalez, and Flaura K. Winston. October 2023. Driving Skills at Licensure and Time to First Crash. American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics. e2022060817. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-060817.

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