A randomized trial of behavioral interventions yielding sustained reductions in distracted driving

Distracted driving is responsible for nearly 1 million crashes each year in the U.S. 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 Progressive® Snapshot® usage-based auto insurance customers ages 18-77 who averaged at least 2 minutes/hour of handheld use while driving in the month prior to study solicitation. They were randomly assigned to one of five arms for a 10-week 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 handsfree use. Arm 3 got the mount plus a commitment exercise and tips for handsfree 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. Post-intervention, participants were monitored until the end of their insurance rating period , 25-65 days more. Outcome differences were measured using fractional logistic regression. Arm 4 participants, who received gamification and competition, reduced their handheld use by 14.2% relative to control (p < .0001); Arm 5 participants, who additionally received financial incentives, reduced their use by 24.8% (p < .0000001). Both groups sustained these reductions until the end of their insurance rating period.

仅在美国，分心驾驶每年就导致近100万起交通事故，而驾驶员分心的主要诱因之一便是手持手机操作。本研究开展了一项随机对照试验（randomized controlled trial, RCT），旨在评估各类干预措施对持续减少驾驶时手持手机操作行为的效果，试验注册号为NCT04587609。本研究的招募对象为1653名Progressive® Snapshot®按使用量计费的汽车保险客户，年龄介于18至77岁之间，且在研究招募前一个月内，平均每小时驾驶时至少有2分钟存在手持手机操作行为。所有受试者被随机分配至5个试验组之一，干预周期为10周。第1组（对照组）仅接受手持手机驾驶风险的安全教育，其余各组亦同步接受该教育。第2组可获得免费手机支架，以辅助实现驾驶时免手持操作。第3组除获得手机支架外，还将获得免手持操作的承诺训练与操作贴士。第4组则额外获得手机支架、承诺训练与操作贴士，并可参与每周目标游戏化激励与社交竞赛活动。第5组与第4组配置一致，另增设基于行为学设计的经济激励措施。干预结束后，受试者将被持续追踪至其车险评级周期结束，追踪时长额外增加25至65天。研究采用分数Logistic回归模型对各组间的结局差异进行量化分析。与对照组相比，参与游戏化激励与社交竞赛的第4组受试者，其手持手机驾驶时长减少了14.2%（p < .0001）；额外获得行为学设计经济激励的第5组受试者，该时长减少幅度达24.8%（p < .0000001）。两组受试者的行为改善均持续至其车险评级周期结束。