An Examination of the Efficacy of a Brief Educational Program on Driver Distraction

A study examined the influence of a brief educational intervention on self-reports of past and intended future distracted driving behavior, and on perception of the danger of various driver distractions (e.g., map reading, grooming, etc.). Respondents completed a series of rating scales, reporting (A) the frequency with which they had participated in various distracting activities while driving in the past, (B) the frequency with which they expected to participate in those activities in the future, and (C) the perceived danger of those activities. Half of the respondents completed the rating scales after first watching a series of short animated videos from the driver education program. The remaining respondents (controls) completed the surveys prior to viewing the video segments. As compared to the control subjects, participants who viewed the video segments prior to filling out the rating scales reported reliably higher levels of perceived danger for a number of distracting activities. Video segments did not, however, appear to affect respondents' anticipated future behavior.