%0 Journal Article
%T A randomized trial of behavioral interventions yielding sustained reductions in distracted driving.
%A Ebert JP
%A Xiong RA
%A Khan N
%A Abdel-Rahman D
%A Leitner A
%A Everett WC
%A Gaba KL
%A Fisher WJ
%A McDonald CC
%A Winston FK
%A Rosin RM
%A Volpp KG
%A Barnett IJ
%A Wiebe DJ
%A Halpern SD
%A Delgado MK
%J Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
%V 121
%N 32
%D 2024 Aug 6
%M 39074277
%F 12.779
%R 10.1073/pnas.2320603121
%X 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.