Drive in the Moment

A toolkit for reducing mobile phone-related distracted driving

Drive in the Moment is aimed at reducing young drivers’ in-vehicle mobile phone use.

The project’s website offers research resources and two web tools – the Risk Rater and the Plan Builder.

The Risk Rater tool prompts young drivers to rank the risk of mobile phone distracted driving against the experts’ opinions to help them understand the crash risk. In doing so it contextualises the crash risk of mobile phone distracted driving with other well-established risky driving behaviours.

The Plan Builder tool prompts young drivers to build a bespoke plan to reduce their in-vehicle smartphone use. It does so by helping young drivers identify the ways and moments in which they are tempted to use their phone and to develop a “mental plan” of how they will better respond. It helps them manage relapses and helps enforce positive behaviour.

The Plan Builder has several options to help users identify what tempts them to use their phones when in stop-start traffic or when stopped at lights. This is important because the research has clearly shown that young drivers engage less with their phones in moving traffic than when in stop-start traffic. Having these options enables young drivers to focus on their specific patterns of using their smartphone while driving and make bespoke plans directly relevant to them.

The toolkit can be modified (including being re-branded) for use by mobility clubs worldwide.

For more information, visit driveinthemoment.com.au