Device That Blocks Cellphone Calls Can Curb Distracted Driving: Report

A device that blocks incoming and outgoing calls and texts on cellphones when a person is driving can help reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers, scientists have found.

Studies suggest that the use of voice/text devices while driving is associated with crash risks up to 24 times higher than when cellphones are not used to talk or text while driving.

"The risks of electronic distraction for young drivers are very real, but facts and figures have not done enough to change driver behaviour," said lead author Beth Ebel, director of the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and associate professor of pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Ebel and her colleagues wanted to find out if technology could reduce distracted driving, high-risk driving events (eg, hard braking, swerving) and injuries among adolescent drivers.

They conducted a pilot study of two interventions. The first was an in-vehicle camera system triggered by hard braking, fast cornering or an impact that exceeds a certain g-force.

A video recorder captures events, which parents and teens can review to improve driving behaviour. The second was a device that blocks incoming and outgoing calls/texts on cellphones when the vehicle is being operated. Both systems are commercially available.

Twenty-nine teens were randomised to one of three groups: camera only, camera plus cellphone blocking or control group.

Using a programme installed on the driver's smartphone, researchers could see how many minutes teens spent talking and how many texts they sent while driving over a six-month period.

Results showed teens in both intervention groups had lower cellphone use and fewer high-risk driving behaviours than the control group.

The reduction in distracted driving was greatest for drivers with the blocking programme installed on their smartphone.

In addition, teens and parents in the intervention groups did not disable the technology during the study, indicating that cameras and cellphone blocking programmes are feasible outside the research setting, said Ebel.

"The results of our study suggest that technological programmes that may help limit exposure to distraction for novice drivers are accepted by teens and lowered risky driving," she concluded.