Guidance to Promote Family Rules and Workplace Policies to Reduce Cell Phone Use While Driving and Promote Engaged Driving

US Transportation Collectionhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15183182021PDFTech ReportOtto, JayFinley, KariMcMahill, AnnmarieArpin, JamieMontana State University (Bozeman, Mont.). Center for Health and Safety CultureWestern Transportation InstituteMontana Department of TransportationUnited States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway AdministrationMontana. Department of TransportationUnited StatesDriver distractionAttitudesBehaviorCellular telephonesRisk takingTeenage driversGuidelinesHigh risk driversDrivingDriversfamily rulesworkplace policiesFHWA/MT-21-008/8882-309-1608882-309-16Final Report (June 2019 \u2013 May 2021)Distracted driving is a significant contributing factor to motor vehicle crashes. Cultural-based strategies seek to change the behaviors of individuals by connecting their social identity to nested layers of relationships. Relationships between family members or between supervisors and employees provide opportunities to reduce distracted driving. This project conducted surveys among parents with teens who were driving and supervisors who supervised employees who drove for work to better understand their beliefs about distracted driving and about establishing (or clarifying) expectations and rules about distracted driving. Regression models indicated that attitudes, perceived injunctive and descriptive norms, and perceived control were significant predictors of distracted driving behaviors by parents. Many parents indicated they had family rules about not having hand-held cell phone conversations or texting while driving; far fewer parents indicated they had rules about not having hands-free cell phone conversations, not adjusting vehicle equipment, or not reaching for objects while driving. Regression models indicated that behavioral beliefs, perceived descriptive norms, and perceived control were significant predictors of parenting behaviors to reduce distracted driving among their teens. Similar patterns were found among supervisors in workplaces with employees who drive for work. The results of these surveys informed the development of conversation guides for parents and supervisors to decrease distracted driving and increase engaged driving.120