about driver training associates, inc.

DTA is the first and only company to develop a driver training program for New York drivers that teaches how a person's Attitude States can influence driving behavior, which can in turn have an impact on traffic violations and crashes. By learning to recognize and control their Attitude States, drivers can more easily avoid dangerous driving behaviors that result in these negative consequences.

The State of New York provides a unique and pro-active opportunity for drivers to benefit from DTA's research proven effective course before they receive a traffic ticket or become involved in a crash. Drivers who complete DTA's Point Insurance Reduction Program receive the primary benefit of a 10% auto insurance premium reduction, but perhaps more importantly, they also receive valuable defensive driving training that could save their life, or the life of another driver, pedestrian, or passenger.

What Are Attitude States?

One of the unique aspects of our point insurance reduction course is that it identifies the three Attitude States that each driver has. Derived from Dr. Eric Berne's famous theory of Transactional Analysis, these three Attitude States are referred to as the Parent Attitude State (or "Parent"), the Adult Attitude State (or "Adult"), and the Child Attitude State (or "Child").

These three Attitude States are associated with either positive or negative thoughts, feelings and ideas that can control our personality at any given time. The most desirable Attitude State for driving is the Adult Attitude State, which is described as the logical, rational decision maker.

Other Attitude States that can influence driving are the Child Attitude State, which is sometimes associated with reckless or impulsive behavior, and the Parent Attitude State, which can cause a driver to try to "punish" other drivers by honking, flashing headlights, or tailgating. The Parent and Child Attitude States are responsible for most of the aggressive driving behaviors observed on the roadway.

DTA's New York defensive driving course teaches students how to identify these Attitude States through various actions, expressions, and phrases. By switching out of our Child or Parent and into our Adult, we can make low-risk decisions that will contribute to a safer driving environment for everyone.

IPDE – Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute

In addition to the concept of Attitude States, DTA's New York accident prevention program teaches the defensive driving strategy known as IPDE, which stands for Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute.

Drivers identify potential hazards (such as weather or road conditions) that might contribute to a crash. Next, they predict how that potential hazard might affect their driving. They evaluate their options and risks and decide on the course of action that will have the greatest chance of success, in this case meaning the least risk of an accident. They then execute that maneuver in a safe and predictable manner.

The IPDE strategy has been used by countless drivers to intelligently respond to dangerous driving situations. DTA's accident prevention course not only teaches the basic IPDE strategy, but expands it to include additional concepts such as Isolate and Stabilize, Separate and Compromise.

Research Shows our Accident Prevention Course Works

DTA's New York defensive driving / accident prevention course has been studied for effectiveness by numerous governmental agencies, including the State of New York. Our course was shown to significantly reduce the number of crashes and violations among course participants. Click here to learn more about the New York defensive driving effectiveness studies.

Ready to become a safer driver? Just click the REGISTER button to get started taking our online New York defensive driving program.