Driver training effectiveness in general has received a great deal of research attention. For this summary of published DDC evaluations, we used the following inclusion criteria:

• • Research that includes training programs developed by NSC (although some studies include courses from more than one provider)
• • Research on driver improvement training for traffic offenders
• • Reports published since 1990

We used the following criteria to exclude evaluations of driver training effectiveness:

• • Studies of other types of driver improvement training (ex: driver education a.k.a. Driver’s Ed)
• • Research on programs for non-traffic offenders (ex: employee drivers)
• • Studies where DDC was combined with other safety improvement interventions (ex: warning letters)
• • Research on driver training from jurisdictions where NSC programs were not used
• • Reports published before 1990

Drivers who take DDC overwhelmingly enjoy their learning experience and feel confident that the course has a positive impact on roadway safety. Based on the responses of over 24,000 NSC DDC participants, who completed a course satisfaction survey between October 2022 and January 2023, 91% agreed or strongly agreed that DDC training had met their expectations. Eighty-eight percent said they would recommend taking DDC to other drivers, and 92% said that they would be able to keep themselves and others safe as a result of learning defensive driving techniques.