Young Drivers of Canada’s StreetSmart™ brings Cognitive Science based Customized Learning into Driver Training

New platform from YD Labs and Research Inc. helps driving instructors personalize coaching - right down to each student’s learning style

WOODBRIDGE, ONTARIO, CANADA, December 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- YD Labs and Research Inc. (“YD Labs & Research”), the innovation and R&D arm behind Young Drivers of Canada, today announced the launch of StreetSmart™, a cognitive testing platform designed to help driving schools, instructors, and safety professionals better understand how each student learns and processes information before in-vehicle training begins.

PERSONALIZED LEARNING BASED ON COGNITIVE AND LEARNING INSIGHTS

StreetSmart™ uses a short, digital assessment to measure key cognitive and behavioural factors related to driving - including attention, working memory, processing speed, task switching, and risk perception. It also includes a Learning Styles analysis, helping to identify whether a student learns best through visual, verbal, step-by-step, or hands-on instruction. The platform then generates an easy-to-understand report for instructors, along with a companion summary for the student and their parent or guardian.

“Not every student driver learns the same way, and StreetSmart™ is our answer to that reality,” said Maria Bagdonas, Chief Operating Officer of Young Drivers of Canada. “For decades, we’ve focused on what students do behind the wheel. StreetSmart™ lets us understand how they think, focus, and learn, including their preferred learning style, before they even start the car. That insight helps instructors tailor their coaching, reduce frustration, and support safer outcomes for everyone.”

Integrated with the broader YD Labs & Research ecosystem - including the DriversCoach™ mobile app - StreetSmart™ is designed to support a full learner journey: from initial assessment, to digital learning, to on-road practice and beyond. The goal is to close the “Practice Gap” between what students are taught in theory, what they actually practice, and how they perform when confronted with real-world driving demands.

COMBINING COGNITIVE TESTING WITH LEARNING STYLES ANALYSIS

“StreetSmart™ sits at the intersection of cognitive science, telematics, and AI-driven personalization,” said Andrew Marek, Chief Growth Officer and Chief AI Officer at Young Drivers of Canada. “We’re building tools that don’t just deliver more content - they deliver the right content, in the right way, for each learner. By combining cognitive testing with a Learning Styles analysis, StreetSmart™ helps us identify a student who might need slower, step-by-step visual guidance versus someone who thrives with richer, more complex, verbal explanations. That level of personalization simply hasn’t existed at scale in driver training until now.”

Designed for use by driving schools, fleets, and educational partners, StreetSmart™ offers:
• Pre-Drive Cognitive Assessment – A short, guided test taken on a phone, tablet or computer, typically before the first in-vehicle lesson.
• Learning Styles Analysis – Insight into how each student learns best, so lessons, explanations, and feedback can be personalized for greatest effectiveness.
• Instructor-Facing Insights – Clear recommendations on teaching strategies, pacing, and potential areas of extra support.
• Student & Parent Summaries – Plain-language explanations of learning strengths and focus areas, helping families better support practice time.
• Ethical, Privacy-First Data Practices – Strong governance around data collection, storage, and use, with a focus on safety improvement and education, not surveillance.

YD Labs & Research licenses StreetSmart™ to Young Drivers of Canada and actively encourages driving schools and any driver-centric organization to get in contact to see how StreetSmart™ could make a discernible difference in their in-vehicle teaching effectiveness and customization of curricula.

USING SCIENCE, DATA & DESIGN TO IMPROVE TEACHING DRIVING

“Our mission at YD Labs & Research is simple: use science, data, and design to improve how people learn to drive and how instructors teach,” added Marek. “StreetSmart™ is a major step toward that mission, and we’re excited to bring it to partners across Canada and beyond.”

StreetSmart™ is initially being rolled out across select Young Drivers of Canada locations, with pilot opportunities available for driving schools, corporate fleets, insurers, and educational institutions.

“We see StreetSmart™ as a new baseline for responsible, modern driver training,” said Bagdonas. “By understanding the learner first - their cognition and their learning style - we can design better lessons, build confidence earlier, and ultimately contribute to safer roads for everyone.”

About YD Labs & Research.

YD Labs & Research is the research and innovation arm behind Young Drivers of Canada. The group develops digital products, cognitive tools, and evidence-based training methods, including the DriversCoach™ app and StreetSmart™ cognitive testing platform, to improve how people learn to drive and how instructors teach. YD Labs & Research focuses on real-world outcomes, combining behavioural science, data analytics, and human-centered design to support safer, more confident drivers.

About Young Drivers of Canada

Young Drivers of Canada is a leading provider of driver education, known for its proactive, collision-avoidance focused approach to training new drivers. With in-class, online, and in-vehicle programs across Canada, Young Drivers of Canada helps learners develop the skills, habits, and attitudes needed to drive safely and confidently for life.

Ursula Romeo
Young Drivers of Canada
+1 416-322-7000 ext. 245
uromeo@yd.com

Meet StreetSmart™: the Cognitive & Learning Styles Assessment that Helps Personalize Driver Training

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