Prevention in Focus Webinar: Inevitable to Preventable: Building the Science of Adolescent Crash Prevention

Register now: https://nih.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_c4kspcvQSp6AtV9FyUrNRQ#/registration

Presented by
Flaura Winston, M.D., Ph.D.

Thursday, September 10, 2026, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET (Washington, DC time)

Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death and serious injury during adolescence, a developmental period marked by increasing independence, evolving self-regulation, and new exposure to risk. Historically, novice driver crashes were viewed as an inevitable consequence of adolescence, with a limited scientific foundation of adolescent driving safety. In this presentation, Dr. Flaura Winston will describe a 20-year research-to-action-to-impact journey that helped transform teen driver safety into a science of measurable risk, readiness, and prevention. Beginning with the observation that adolescents transition from the lowest lifetime crash risk to the highest at licensure, this work identified the behavioral, developmental, environmental, and family factors that shape risk. Research revealed that many novice drivers are underprepared for predictable high-risk situations, parents play a critical protective role, and driver readiness is measurable and modifiable.

Finally, Dr. Winston will discuss why the skills needed for safe driving will remain fundamental in a rapidly changing transportation environment with new vehicle automation and policy change. Together, these advances demonstrate how rigorous behavioral science can generate actionable evidence and scalable, equitable solutions that help ensure all adolescents can safely access the opportunities that mobility provides.

Accessibility Information: This webinar will be captioned in real time. Individuals needing reasonable accommodations should email Prevention [at] nih [dot] gov. Requests should be made at least 5 business days before the event.