Citation

Ebert JP, Xiong RA, Khan N, Abdel-Rahman D, Leitner A, Everett WC, Gaba KL, Fisher WJ, McDonald CC, Winston FK, Rosin RM, Volpp KG, Barnett IJ, Wiebe DJ, Halpern SD, Delgado MK. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 2024; 121(32): e2320603121.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, National Academy of Sciences)

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2320603121

PMID

39074277

Abstract

Distracted driving is responsible for nearly 1 million crashes each year in the United States alone, and a major source of driver distraction is handheld phone use. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of interventions designed to create sustained reductions in handheld use while driving (NCT04587609). Participants were 1,653 consenting Progressive® Snapshot® usage-based auto insurance customers ages 18 to 77 who averaged at least 2 min/h of handheld use while driving in the month prior to study invitation. They were randomly assigned to one of five arms for a 10-wk intervention period. Arm 1 (control) got education about the risks of handheld phone use, as did the other arms. Arm 2 got a free phone mount to facilitate hands-free use. Arm 3 got the mount plus a commitment exercise and tips for hands-free use. Arm 4 got the mount, commitment, and tips plus weekly goal gamification and social competition. Arm 5 was the same as Arm 4, plus offered behaviorally designed financial incentives. Postintervention, participants were monitored until the end of their insurance rating period, 25 to 65 d more. Outcome differences were measured using fractional logistic regression. Arm 4 participants, who received gamification and competition, reduced their handheld use by 20.5% relative to control (P < 0.001); Arm 5 participants, who additionally received financial incentives, reduced their use by 27.6% (P < 0.001). Both groups sustained these reductions through the end of their insurance rating period.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Adult; Aged; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Adolescent; Young Adult; randomized controlled trial; Automobile Driving; *Distracted Driving/prevention & control; behavioral intervention; crash risk; distracted driving; habit formation