§ 399-f. Proof of effectiveness. Proof of effectiveness shall be
verifiable research documentation submitted by the applicant for
sponsorship showing evidence of effectiveness comparable to that of the
national safety council's defensive driving course as determined by the
commissioner in terms of reduced convictions or accidents or both. This
research documentation shall employ accepted research principles and
include treatment and non-treatment control groups comprised of samples
of the representative driver base. In order to establish verifiable
effectiveness, each sample group should be comprised of a minimum of
three thousand drivers selected randomly. The documentation shall
include conviction or accident data for each motorist for a period of at
least eighteen months prior to the course completion date and at least
eighteen months subsequent to such date, and equivalent time periods for
non-treatment control groups. The documentation shall also include a
description of the sampling and analytic procedures used, and the
motorist identification number and course completion date for all course
attendees. The applicant for sponsorship shall provide, at the request
of the commissioner and at the applicant's expense, all driving record
data and analysis used in the development of the submitted research
documentation. Submission of any fraudulent or intentionally misleading
data will disqualify that organization and all owners and principals
from participating or approval in the accident prevention course for a
period of ten years from submission date. The commissioner may, by
regulation, provide for a smaller sample group for specialized courses.