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.