Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death among North American youth, with a high prevalence of distraction-related fatalities. Youth-focused interventions must address detecting (visual scanning) and responding (adjustment to stimuli) to critical roadway information. In this repeated measures study, we investigated the feasibility (i.e., recruitment and sample characteristics; data collection procedures; acceptability of the intervention; resources; and preliminary effects) of a DriveFocus™ app intervention on youth’s driving performance. Thirty-four youth participated in a 9-week protocol (retention rate = 89.7%; adherence rate = 100%). No participants experienced simulator sickness. A preliminary nonparametric evaluation of the results (n = 34) indicated a statistically significant decrease in the number of visual scanning, F(2, 68) = 3.769, p = .028, and adjustment to stimuli, F(2, 68) = 6.759, p = .002, errors between baseline, midpoint, and posttest. This study lays the foundation to support a targeted intervention trial to improve youth’s attention to critical road information, building on their mobile technology preferences.
AliE. K.El-BadawyS. M.ShawalyE. A. (2014). Young drivers behavior and its influence on traffic incidents. Journal of Traffic and Logistics Engineering, 2, 45-51.
2.
AlvarezL.ClassenS. (2017). Simulated driving performance of healthy teens. In ClassenS. (Ed.), Driving simulation for assessment, intervention, and training: A guide for occupational therapy and health care professionals (p.145-155). Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.
3.
AlvarezL.ClassenS.MedhizadahS.KnottM.HeW. (2018). Pilot efficacy of a driveFocus™ intervention on the driving performance of young drivers. Frontiers in Public Health, 6, 1-9.
4.
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2014). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Suppl. 1), S1-S48.
5.
BeeryK. E.BeeryN. A. (2010). The Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (6th ed.). Bloomington, MN: Pearson.
6.
BorowskyA.ShinarD.Oron-GiladT. (2010). Age, skill, and hazard perception in driving. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 42, 1240-1249.
7.
BrookeJ. (1996). SUS: A “quick and dirty” usability scale. In: JordanP. W.ThomasB.WeerdmeesterB. A.McClellandA. L. (Eds.), Usability evaluation in industry. London: Taylor and Francis.
BruininksR. H.BruininksB. D. (2005). Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Pearson Assessments.
10.
BurgeR.ChaparroA. (2012). The effects of texting and driving on hazard perception. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 56, 715-719. doi:10.1177/1071181312561149
11.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). 10 leading causes of injury deaths by age group highlighting injury deaths, United States–2014. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/leadingcauses.html
12.
ClassenS.BewernitzM.ShechtmanO. (2011). Driving simulator sickness: An evidence-based review of the literature. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65, 179-188. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.000802
13.
ClassenS.BrooksJ. (2014). Driving simulators for occupational therapy screening, assessment, and intervention. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 28, 154-162.
14.
ClassenS.MonahanM.BrownK. E.HernandezS. (2013). Driving indicators in teens with attention deficit hyperactivity and/or autism disorder. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 80, 274-283.
15.
ClassenS.YarneyA.K.A.MonahanM.WinterS.M.PlatekK.LutzA.L. (2015). Rater reliability to assess driving errors in a driving simulator. Advances in Transportation Studies an International Journal Section B, 36, 99-108.
16.
CloningerC. R. (1999). The Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised (Vol. 9). St. Louis, MO: Center for Psychobiology of Personality, Washington University.
17.
DavisF.BagozziR.WarshawP.(1989). User acceptance of computer technology: A comparison of two theoretical models. Management Science, 35, 982-1003.
18.
DurbinD. R.McGeheeD. V.FisherD.McCarttA. (2014). Special considerations in distracted driving with teens. Annals of Advances in Automotive Medicine, 58, 69-83.
19.
HarblukJ. L.NoyI. Y. (2002). The impact of cognitive distraction on driver visual behaviour and vehicle control. Retrieved from https://trid.trb.org/view/643031
20.
HedlundJ. (2006). Executive summary: Summary of proceedings and recommendations. Paper presented at the International Conference on Distracted Driving, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2-5 October, 2005.
21.
HoldenR. J.KarshB. T. (2010). The technology acceptance model: Its past and its future in health care. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 43, 159-172.
22.
McCarttA. T.HellingaL. A.BratimanK. A. (2006). Cell phones and driving: Review of research. Traffic Injury Prevention, 7, 89-106. doi:10.1080/15389580600651103
23.
MonahanM. (2016). A usability evaluation of a driver training application for teens with autism spectrum disorder (Unpublished doctoral project). St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN.
OrsmondG. I.CohnE. S. (2015). The distinctive features of a feasibility study: Objectives and guiding questions. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 35, 169-177.
27.
PradhanA. K.HuX. S.BuckleyL.BinghamC. R. (2015). Pre-frontal cortex activity of male drivers in the presence of passengers during simulated driving: An exploratory functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study. Paper presented at the Eighth International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design, Salt Lake City, Utah, 22-25 June, 2015.
28.
ReasonJ.MansteadA.StradlingS.BaxterJ.CampbellK. (1990). Errors and violations on the roads: A real distinction?Ergonomics, 33, 1315-1332.
29.
ReynoldsC. (2002). Comprehensive Trail-Making Test (CTMT). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
30.
SmithA. (1982). Symbol Digits Modalities Test. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Tickle-DegnenL. (2013). Nuts and bolts of conducting feasibility studies. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67, 171-176. doi:10.5014/ajot.2013.006270
33.
TilleczekK. C. (2004). The illogic of youth driving culture. Journal of Youth Studies, 7, 473-498. doi:10.1080/1367626042000315239
WilliamsA. F. (2006). Young driver risk factors: Successful and unsuccessful approaches for dealing with them and an agenda for the future. Injury Prevention, 12(Suppl. 1), i4-i8.
