Use these online traffic safety courses and resources in your next program. 

Now more than ever, educators are turning to virtual traffic safety programs to teach their students about safe driving. Driver education courses online are specifically designed to effectively deliver critical lessons virtually, and educate students about distracted and impaired driving and help them build the skills they need to stay safe on the road.

While there are challenges to virtual lesson planning, it is possible to make virtual education just as engaging and impactful. Online traffic safety courses still allow teens to experience driving situations that help them receive first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to drive while distracted or impaired. Once they complete the courses, teens will have the skills and information they need to develop their own plan for safe driving. 

Take time to gather all the resources you need for your virtual traffic safety program. The recommended tools that educators should incorporate into their programs include: 

• The Plan My Ride Program 
• The Plan My Ride Program with Extension Activities 
• The Plan My Ride Program — Teen Driver and Parent Version
• Local Government Resources 

Keep reading to find out more about these key resources to incorporate into your virtual traffic safety program. 

Plan My Ride Program 

Plan My Ride is an interactive online traffic safety course that focuses on preventing distracted and impaired driving. It provides teens an immersive experience that teaches the dangers of unsafe driving and helps them build skills to avoid driving impaired. Plan My Ride is: 

• Self-paced and highly interactive.
• Adaptable for remote learning or a blended approach.
• Research-based and utilizes behavior change theory. 
• Allows students to practice their learned skills in real-life scenarios. 

Plan My Ride is available in packages designed for large groups of students (150+) and small groups of students (25+).

Plan My Ride Program with Extension Activities 

These Plan My Ride kits include hands-on extension activities to ensure students receive the critical understanding and information they need to keep themselves — and any passengers they may have — safe while driving. On top of interactive learning, knowledge check quizzes, and videos, the extension activities available for Plan My Ride include:

• The Fatal Vision Alcohol Program Kit, which simulates alcohol impairment with Fatal Vision Alcohol Goggles and delivers an engaging experience about alcohol misuse.
• The Fatal Vision Drowsy & Distracted Program Kit, which includes Fatal Vision Drowsy and Distracted Goggles and five activities highlighting the risks to drowsy and distracted driving.
• The Fatal Vision Marijuana Program Kit, which includes Fatal Vision Marijuana Goggles and five activities for an interactive experience of driving under the influence of recreational marijuana. 

Once students have completed the Plan My Ride driver education course online, they will have developed a safe driving plan to implement in real life.

Plan My Ride Program — Teen Driver and Parent Version 

Plan My Ride isn’t just for educators — it’s also for parents who would like to work with their teens on building safe driving skills and education. This version of the Plan My Ride program is the perfect online traffic safety course for parents who want to focus more on the dangers of distracted and impaired driving. As an essential supplement to a Driver Education course, this program builds skills outside of what is typically introduced to teens.

With this version of Plan My Ride, parents can: 

• Walk their teens through various virtual alcohol and distraction-involved driving situations.
• Ensure their teen builds critical skills that will keep them safe. 
• Have peace of mind knowing they’ve done what they can to prepare their teen to travel safely on the road.  

Local Government Resources 

In addition to the resources listed above, you can always turn to local government agencies or organizations to find online traffic safety courses and other tools to incorporate into your education programs. For example: 

• The Roadway Safety Foundation offers educational materials that raise awareness of roadway safety features, such as rumble strips and winter weather maintenance. It also has a Teen Roadway Safety Advocates Program. 
• Search for state-specific resources for alcohol and traffic safety education materials. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (WDTSEA) offer a variety of materials including handbooks, videos, statistics, and lesson plans.

With all of these resources, you’ll be able to implement virtual traffic safety programs that will effectively teach driving safety.