A Randomized Field Trial of Smartphone-based Feedback to Encourage Safe Driving

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Behavioral Economics; Distracted Driving; Injury Prevention

• Registration Number: NCT06101251
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

The study team are proposing to conduct a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of focused feedback vs standard feedback and self-chosen vs assigned goals on driving behaviors targeted by behavior-based insurance apps: hard braking, fast acceleration, handheld phone use, and speeding. The interventions arms will receive feedback on their driving behaviors, tips for safe driving, and a UBI-like financial incentive. The Penn research team will use Meta advertisements to recruit for the study and determine eligibility via an online survey. Those who enroll will undergo a 6-week run-in period during which their driving trips will be monitored by a mobile app. Individuals with a sufficient number of trips during this period will be randomly assigned to one of four arms for the intervention period. Target enrollment is 1,300 participants (325 per trial arm). The power analysis assumed an attrition rate of 20% over the course of the study.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-07-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-10-23
• Study First Posted: 2023-10-26
• Study Start: 2024-01-25
• Primary Completion: 2024-07-30
• Study Completion: 2024-09-30
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-07-01
• Last Update Posted: 2025-07-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1449

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years of age or older
• Has an Apple or Android smartphone (iPhone iOS 12 or later or Android OS 7 or later)
• Drives at least 2 days per week
• English reading ability
• Passes an attention check
• Provides valid email address, cell number, name, address, and date of birth

Exclusion Criteria

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Overall Driving Score	12 weeks of the intervention period + separate analysis of 6 week post intervention.	This is the mean of the four behavior scores for the intervention period (and, in a follow-up analysis of effect sustainability, the post-intervention period). Scores can range from 0 -100, 100 being the safest driving score.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Distraction score	12 weeks of the intervention period + separate analysis of 6 week post intervention.	A proprietary CMT score based on participant phone use-especially handheld phone use-while driving on a scale of 0-100, 100 being no phone use while driving (safest).
Speeding score	12 weeks of the intervention period + separate analysis of 6 week post intervention.	A proprietary CMT score based on the amount of time the participant drove over the speed limit on a scale from 0 -100, 100 being no incidences of driving over the speed limit.
Acceleration Score	12 weeks of the intervention period + separate analysis of 6 week post intervention.	A proprietary CMT score based on the frequency of a participant's fast accelerations on a scale of 0-100. 100, being no fast accelerations.
Braking score	12 weeks of the intervention period + separate analysis of 6 week post intervention.	A proprietary CMT score based on the frequency of a participant's hard brakes on a scale of 0-100, 100 meaning no hard brakes.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Pennsylvania; 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States