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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04177524

Distracted Driving App Study for Teens and Parents/Caregivers

The purpose of this research study is to determine if a new smartphone application helps to decrease distracted driving, and to learn about parent and teen perspectives about the application

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Key information

Conditions

Distracted Driving

Age range

16 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Roberts Center for Pediatric Research

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146, United States

About this study

This 3-group randomized controlled trial aims to (1) evaluate the frequency of smartphone use among young drivers and their parents/caregivers while driving; and (2) determine if the LifeSaver mobile app reduces the rate of smartphone use while driving. Eligible participants will be licensed teenage drivers between the ages of 16 and 18 years, and a parent/caregiver. The app will be downloaded and installed on both parent/caregivers' and teens' phones to monitor phone use while in a vehicle for 8 weeks.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Licensed teen drivers 16 years to 18 years and one parent/caregiver
  • Teen and parent/caregiver are both Android smartphone users
  • Teen and parent/caregiver both drive a minimum of 2 days per week

Exclusion criteria

  • Non-fluency in written or spoken English

Treatment and study plan

Background Mode

Device

The LifeSaver app tracks the date, time, and global positioning system (GPS) location of each trip that the participant takes in a moving vehicle, along with a list of apps used during the trip, but does not contain any anti-distracted driving features.

Other names: Mode 1

Manual Mode

Device

In addition to the features in the Background Mode, the LifeSaver app locks the participants' phone while they are in a moving vehicle unless they actively press an "Emergency Unlock" or "Passenger Unlock" button.

Other names: Mode 2

Auto-Detect Mode

Device

In addition to the features in Manual Mode, the LifeSaver app's "Passenger Unlock" feature can only be used if the app, via the smartphone's camera, confirms that the participant is not the driver of the vehicle.

Other names: Mode 3

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in frequency of smartphone use while driving

    Time frame: Week 2, 4, 6, and post-intervention at Week 8

    Frequency of smartphone use is recorded by the LifeSaver app among the three app modes. Within-driver smartphone use over the 8-week study period is compared as the app modes change.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in frequency of self-reported smartphone use while driving

    Time frame: Weeks 2, 4, 6, and Post-Intervention at Week 8

    The change in self-reported smartphone use while driving will be assessed using the same within-driver and between-driver comparisons as the primary outcome measure. Self-reported smartphone use is collected through 10 items on a participant survey that is completed at enrollment, Weeks 2, 4, 6 and post-intervention at Week 8. Participants report how many days during the previous 2 weeks (0-14) that they drove, and talked on a hands-held smartphone, talked on a hands-free smartphone, sent a text, and read a text while driving. Participants also report how many times per day (free text, any number greater than or equal to 0) that they drove, and talked on a hands-held smartphone, talked on a hands-free smartphone, sent a text, and read a text while driving. There is no overall self-reported smartphone use score for these survey items.

  2. Participant acceptability of the smartphone App: survey

    Time frame: Post-Intervention at Week 8

    Participant assessment of accessibility will be collected, and Manual Mode and Auto-Detect Mode of the LifeSaver app will be compared. Participants complete a survey at Week 8, post-intervention. 8 items in the survey ask participants about accessibility of the app through Likert scales (range from Not at all to Extremely). 3 items in the survey ask participants about accessibility of the app through open-ended questions, where participants are able to enter free text. There is no overall score for these survey items.

  3. Participant usability of the smartphone app: survey

    Time frame: Post-Intervention at Week 8

    Participant assessment of usability will be collected, and Manual Mode and Auto-Detect Mode of the LifeSaver app will be compared. Participants complete a survey at Week 8, post-intervention. 8 items in the survey ask participants about usability of the app through Likert scales (range from Not at all to Extremely). 3 items in the survey ask participants about usability of the app through open-ended questions, where participants are able to enter free text. There is no overall score for these survey items.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Other

Collaborators

  • Minnesota HealthSolutions

Registry information

Official study title

An Informatics Approach to Preventing Distracted Driving

Acronym: IDD

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Nov 26, 2019
Registry last updated
Nov 19, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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