The Effect on Teenage Risky Driving of Feedback From a Safety Monitoring System: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Purpose Teenage risky driving may be due to teenagers not knowing what is risky, preferring risk, or the lack of consequences. Elevated gravitational-force (g-force) events, caused mainly by hard braking and sharp turns, provide a valid measure of risky driving and are the target of interventions using in-vehicle data recording and feedback devices. The effect of two forms of feedback about risky driving events to teenagers only or to teenagers and their parents was tested in a randomized controlled trial. Methods Ninety parent-teen dyads were randomized to one of two groups: (1) immediate feedback to teens (Lights Only); or (2) immediate feedback to teens plus family access to event videos and ranking of the teen relative to other teenage drivers (Lights Plus). Participants’ vehicles were instrumented with data recording devices and events exceeding 0.5 g were assessed for two weeks of baseline and 13 weeks of feedback. Results Growth analysis with random slopes yielded a significant decrease in event rates for the Lights Plus group (slope = −.11, p < 0.01), but no change for the Lights Only group (slope = 0.05, p = 0.67) across the 15 weeks. A large effect size of 1.67 favored the Lights Plus group. Conclusions Provision of feedback with possible consequences associated with parents being informed reduced risky driving, while immediate feedback only to teenagers did not. Implications and Contribution Reducing elevated g-force events due to hard stops and sharp turns could reduce crash rates among novice teenage drivers. Using materials from the DriveCam For Families Program we found that feedback to both teens and parents significantly reduced rates, while feedback only to teens did not.

Teen Driving Risk and Prevention: Naturalistic Driving Research Contributions and Challenges

“…Evaluations of these programs have demonstrated that this feedback to teens and parents is associated with rapid declines in KRD rates and presumably improved safety, although the programs have been too small to demonstrate crash reductions. In one randomized trial, DriveCam devices were installed in the vehicles of young drivers and set on "stealth" mode for a month [8]. Then, in one group, the light was activated so the driver was informed by a blinking light when an event occurred.…”

“…Novices have particularly high crash rates in the months just after licensure that decline rapidly for about 6 months and/or 1000 miles and then more slowly for years [3][4][5]. While novices presumably make many judgment errors due to inexperience and young age [6,7], they also experiment with risky driving behaviors [8]. Moreover, relative to older drivers, novices are easily distracted from the driving task [9].…”

Techniques for Reducing Speeding Beyond Licensure: Young Drivers' Preferences

“…Real-time alerts and feedback as well as post-driving summary reports can be generated and used as discussion points with driver instructors or parents. Also, seeing records of their own driving patterns provides opportunities for young drivers to reflect and think about their own behaviors and consequences (Simons-Morton et al, 2013). However, studies have reported resistance from young drivers about using such in-vehicle technologies, with them claiming that these technologies are virtual parents and are forms of privacy invasion (GesserEdelsburg & Guttman, 2013).…”

“…However, studies have reported resistance from young drivers about using such in-vehicle technologies, with them claiming that these technologies are virtual parents and are forms of privacy invasion (GesserEdelsburg & Guttman, 2013). In addition, although some results are positive, such as increased seatbelt use (Farmer, Kirley, & McCartt, 2010), more complicated behaviors (e.g., speeding) are difficult to change (McCartt, Farmer, & Jenness, 2010) and the success of the intervention demanded constant support and monitoring from motivated parents (McGehee, Raby, Carney, Lee, & Reyes, 2007;Simons-Morton, et al, 2013).…”

Effects of Behavior-Based Driver Feedback Systems on Commercial Long Haul Operator Safety

“…Targeted and objective feedback can help provide information about performance, set goals for safety behaviors, help identify unsafe behaviors, and serve as a way to provide comparisons with peers. Such approaches have shown evidence of reduction in risky behaviors in other driver groups including teenage drivers (Toledo & Lotan, 2006;Simons-Morton et al, 2013).…”