Reducing distraction while driving: smartphones

A US study aims to understand barriers to using smartphone-limiting technologies to reduce distraction while driving

Distraction from smartphones is an important road safety issue and efforts to identify effective countermeasures remain a priority. A new US study, Increasing the Use of Smartphone-Limiting Technology to Combat Distracted Driving, shows that most US consumers use either an Android or iOS smartphone device that come with a feature that can block or limit distractions (referred herein as Do Not Disturb, DND).

Unfortunately, says the study, only a small percentage of drivers use this feature while driving and often only on a subset of their driving trips. The current study aimed to (1) understand the barriers to using DND countermeasures for smartphone use while driving; and (2) determine the feasibility of overcoming these barriers through educational materials to improve driver awareness and knowledge of DND.

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On 15 May, during the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week, hear from the UK's Vision Zero, Safe Systems, 20's Plenty, behavioural science, active travel and road danger reduction pioneers at the National Vision Zero & 20's Plenty Conference in Liverpool

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The studies examined in the literature review considered a wide array of factors that characterize drivers who are likely to use their smartphones while driving. While

the literature is inconclusive on the role and direction of some factors, driving experience and age show clear relationships to smartphone use. Younger drivers (18–24) and those with less driving experience have increased likelihood of smartphone use while driving. Research also highlights the role of a number of cognitive and behavioral factors, as well as maladaptive phone use.

With respect to Part II, in general, younger users, compared to older users, were more knowledgeable about DND and more likely to report current DND use, but were also more likely to have discontinued use of DND. Moreover, younger previous users of DND were far more likely to believe they can drive safely while messaging than older users, suggesting that they might believe DND is not necessary because they can use their phone safely while driving.

Wanting to use music and navigation apps were the most frequently selected reasons for not using DND, outcomes that underscore an important lack of understanding of DND, which do allow music and navigation use when activated. Sixty percent of previous users reported that they forget to turn on DND and 32% of non-users. reported they did not know about the feature. These outcomes suggest that drivers could benefit from training on DND features so they have a more accurate understanding of what actions DND restricts and awareness of the feature itself (e.g., can be turned on to automatically activate when driving is detected).

Most respondents reported they were in favour of automatic DND activation during stressful driving environments, including heavy rain, snow, or traffic. The selection of these environments suggests that drivers recognize the challenges associated in these situations.

Contextual awareness for DND activation as opposed to an all-or-nothing approach may increase usage. Also, improved accuracy in recognizing when a user is not a driver was cited as an important factor that could influence the likelihood of using DND. Control over what apps are restricted and insurance discounts were also identified as factors that would increase DND usage.

Collectively, outcomes from this study help to identify important barriers for using DND while driving as well as opportunities to increase the likelihood that drivers will use the feature, including design considerations for future versions of these applications.