In 2012, 3,328 people were killed and an additional 421,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. Adults aged greater than 40 years old accounted for 44% of these fatalities. Teen driving behavior is heavily influenced by parental driving behaviors with a recent study showing the proportion of teens that text while driving is 14% higher if they have observed their parents doing the same. The proportion of adults who text while driving has recently surpassed teen rates with a 2013 national poll finding 49% of adult car commuters admit to texting while driving, most stating that they did it out of habit. Based on previous findings, it is unlikely that teens will reduce their texting while driving unless their parents do the same.
The objective of this study is to compare measures of acceptance and feasibility across teen-parent dyads randomized to bidirectional teen-parent (teen monitors parent and parent monitors teen) vs. teen only (parent monitors teen) cellphone use while driving.
Research participants will be recruited to take part in a randomized control trial. Participants' cellphone use will be observed during an initial baseline period. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions (bidirectional teen-parent monitoring or parental monitoring of the teen only). An exit survey and interview will be administered to both the parent and teen separately at the end of the study.
