Mitigating Teen Driver Distraction: In-Vehicle Feedback Based on Peer Social Norms

Objective To investigate the efficacy of in-vehicle feedback based on peer social norms in mitigating teen driver distraction. Background Distraction is a significant problem among teen drivers. Research into the use of in-vehicle technologies to mitigate this issue has been limited. In particular,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human factors 2021-05, Vol.63 (3), p.503-518
Main Authors: Donmez, Birsen, Merrikhpour, Maryam, Nooshabadi, Mehdi Hoseinzadeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior
Automobile Driving
Distracted Driving
Driving ability
Feedback
Gender
Humans
In vehicle
Norms
Peers
Risk-Taking
Social Norms
Teenagers
Telematics
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Summary:Objective To investigate the efficacy of in-vehicle feedback based on peer social norms in mitigating teen driver distraction. Background Distraction is a significant problem among teen drivers. Research into the use of in-vehicle technologies to mitigate this issue has been limited. In particular, there is a need to study whether social norms interventions provided through in-vehicle feedback can be effective. Peers are important social referents for teens; thus, normative intervention based on this group is promising. Socially proximal referents have a greater influence on behavior; thus, tailoring peer norm feedback based on gender may provide additional benefits. Method In this study, 57 teens completed a driving simulator experiment while performing a secondary task in three between-subject conditions: (a) postdrive feedback incorporating same-gender peer norms, (b) postdrive feedback incorporating opposite-gender peer norms, and (c) no feedback. Feedback involved information based on descriptive norms (what others do). Results Teens’ self-reported frequency of distraction engagement was positively correlated with their perceptions of their peers’ engagement in and approval of distractions. Feedback based on peer norms was effective in reducing distraction engagement and improving driving performance, with no difference between same- and opposite-gender feedback. Conclusion/Application Feedback based on peer norms can help mitigate driver distraction among teens. Tailoring social norms feedback to teen gender appears to not provide any additional benefits. Longer-term effectiveness in real-world settings should be investigated.
ISSN:0018-7208
1547-8181
DOI:10.1177/0018720819891285