Ridesharing Vouchers for Drunk Driving

Overseen By Christopher Morrison, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Columbia University

Disqualifiers: Non-English speaking

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 5

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if ridesharing vouchers can reduce drunk driving incidents. Researchers seek to understand drinking habits in public places and assess whether subsidized rides can decrease alcohol-impaired driving, alcohol consumption, and influence travel behavior. Individuals aged 21 or older who live in a study city, possess a driver's license, own a car, have consumed alcohol in a bar in the past month, and own a smartphone may qualify for this study. Participants will complete three surveys over two weeks and receive either ridesharing or online shopping vouchers. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance public safety and transportation options.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that subsidized ridesharing is safe for reducing alcohol-impaired driving?

Research shows that ridesharing vouchers can reduce car crashes caused by alcohol. Studies have found that offering discounted ridesharing, especially at night, reduces these crashes by 38%. No safety concerns have been reported with using ridesharing vouchers. Instead, evidence suggests these vouchers effectively prevent drunk driving and make roads safer. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to reduce drunk driving using incentives. Unlike traditional methods that focus on education and penalties, this trial investigates the impact of providing ridesharing vouchers as a preventative measure. The unique aspect of this approach is its potential to offer immediate, practical alternatives to driving under the influence, making it easier for individuals to make safer choices. Additionally, by comparing ridesharing vouchers with online shopping vouchers, the trial aims to understand if direct transportation incentives are more effective in curbing drunk driving behavior.

What evidence suggests that subsidized ridesharing is effective for reducing alcohol-impaired driving?

Research has shown that offering discounted ridesharing can help reduce alcohol-related car crashes. In this trial, participants in the intervention arm will receive ridesharing vouchers. One study found that 70.8% of people who used ridesharing vouchers reported being less likely to drive after drinking. Another study estimated that these vouchers prevented about 3.2 crashes for every 4,310 trips where people might have driven drunk. This evidence suggests that ridesharing vouchers can effectively reduce drunk driving and its associated risks. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Christopher Morrison, PhD

Principal Investigator

Columbia University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for people over 21 who live in a study city, own a smartphone, have a driver's license, drank at a bar recently, can drive and read English. It's not for those who don't speak English.

Inclusion Criteria

Reside in a study city

I am 21 years old or older.

Have a driver's license

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive either a rideshare voucher or an online shopping voucher and complete 3 surveys over 2 weeks

2 weeks

3 surveys (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in alcohol consumption and impaired driving incidents

2 weeks

2 follow-up surveys (virtual)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Online Shopping Voucher
• Ridesharing Voucher

Trial Overview The study tests if giving out ridesharing vouchers reduces drunk driving, alcohol consumption, and affects how people move around compared to giving online shopping vouchers.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants will be asked to complete 3 surveys over 2 weeks to collect in information on their alcohol use and about themselves, and receive ridesharing vouchers.

Group II: Control Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Participants will be asked to complete 3 surveys over 2 weeks to collect in information on their alcohol use and about themselves, and receive online shopping voucher.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Columbia University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,529

Recruited

2,832,000+

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Collaborator

Trials

865

Recruited

1,091,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Participation in a nonemergency medical transportation program for Medicare ACO members led to an increase in outpatient visits (9.2 visits per person per year) and higher outpatient spending ($4,420), indicating improved access to healthcare services.

Despite the increased healthcare utilization, the program did not result in cost savings and showed no difference in inpatient admissions or emergency department visits, suggesting that these transportation services primarily enhance access rather than reduce overall healthcare costs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluating A Nonemergency Medical Transportation Benefit For Accountable Care Organization Members. Berkowitz, SA., Ricks, KB., Wang, J., et al.[2023]

A significant 37.2% of young people surveyed reported riding with a drunk or drugged driver in the past month, highlighting a serious risk behavior in nightlife contexts.

Factors such as impulsivity, preference for private car use, and living in southern European countries were linked to this behavior, indicating a need for targeted awareness campaigns to address the social acceptance of riding with impaired drivers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Which young people accept a lift from a drunk or drugged driver? Calafat, A., Adrover-Roig, D., Blay, N., et al.[2015]

A survey of 631 Australian parents revealed that many do not travel in rideshare vehicles with their children, primarily due to concerns about cost, driver safety, and the inconvenience of using child restraints.

When parents do use rideshare services, they are less likely to use appropriate child restraints compared to private vehicles, highlighting a need for specific policies and education to improve child safety in these settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What Are the Restraint Practices, Preferences, and Experiences When Australian Parents Travel with Their Children in a Rideshare Vehicle? Koppel, S., Peiris, S., Aburumman, M., et al.[2021]

Nickel phosphine complexes with pendant amines are effective electrocatalysts for oxidizing primary and secondary alcohols, achieving turnover frequencies up to 3.3 s(-1).

These complexes represent a breakthrough as the first non-precious metal electrocatalysts for alcohol oxidation, which is important for advancing fuel cell technology.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Nickel phosphine catalysts with pendant amines for electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols. Weiss, CJ., Wiedner, ES., Roberts, JA., et al.[2015]

The 'borrowing hydrogen' process allows for the transformation of commodity alcohols into valuable products by using a catalyst to oxidize the alcohol and then returning the hydrogen, with water as the only byproduct.

Recent advancements in this area showcase a variety of metal and biocatalysts that enhance the versatility of this method, suggesting its potential for broader application in synthetic chemistry.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Borrowing Hydrogen for Organic Synthesis. Reed-Berendt, BG., Latham, DE., Dambatta, MB., et al.[2021]

Voucher-based incentives have been proven effective in improving retention and increasing abstinence in cocaine-dependent outpatients, with plans for further testing in community clinics.

This approach shows promise for treating various substance dependencies, including alcohol, marijuana, nicotine, and opioids, and is particularly beneficial for special populations like pregnant women and adolescents.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Voucher-based incentives. A substance abuse treatment innovation. Higgins, ST., Alessi, SM., Dantona, RL.[2019]

The reagent N-isopropylidene-N'-2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl hydrazine (IPNBSH) effectively reduces alcohols by forming monoalkyl diazene intermediates, which then lose dinitrogen under mild conditions.

This method involves a sequential process of Mitsunobu displacement, hydrolysis, and fragmentation, showcasing a novel approach to alcohol reduction in organic synthesis.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

N-isopropylidene-N'-2-nitrobenzenesulfonyl hydrazine, a reagent for reduction of alcohols via the corresponding monoalkyl diazenes. Movassaghi, M., Ahmad, OK.[2018]

A new catalytic system using pentacarbonylmanganese bromide and NNN-pincer ligands effectively converts secondary alcohols to ketones, achieving good to excellent yields.

The optimal catalyst, particularly with di-picolylamine ligands and acetone as a hydrogen acceptor, shows high activity for various substrates, including benzylic, aliphatic, and steroid alcohols.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Transfer-dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols catalyzed by manganese NNN-pincer complexes. Budweg, S., Junge, K., Beller, M.[2019]

Voucher-based reinforcement therapy (VBRT) has been shown to be effective in treating substance use disorders, with an average effect size of 0.32 from 30 studies, indicating a moderate positive impact on treatment outcomes.

Factors such as the immediacy of voucher delivery and the monetary value of the vouchers were found to enhance the effectiveness of VBRT, suggesting that optimizing these elements could improve treatment results.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A meta-analysis of voucher-based reinforcement therapy for substance use disorders. Lussier, JP., Heil, SH., Mongeon, JA., et al.[2022]

A new stable transition state analog (Compound 1) has been designed to mimic the hydride transfer process in alcohol dehydrogenases, which could enhance our understanding of how these enzymes work.

This compound, along with its derivatives, can potentially lead to the development of catalytic antibodies that mimic the enzyme's function, paving the way for innovative therapeutic applications.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Design and Synthesis of Transition State Analogs for Induction of Hydride Transfer Catalytic Antibodies. Schröer, J., Sanner, M., Reymond, JL.[2019]

Health care voucher programs can significantly improve access to contraceptive services for underserved populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, by targeting marginalized groups and addressing barriers to care.

Effective management and monitoring of voucher systems are crucial for their success, as separating implementation from management can enhance transparency and accountability, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The logistics of voucher management: the underreported component in family planning voucher discussions. Ali, M., Farron, M., Azmat, SK., et al.[2022]

In a 12-week clinical trial with 58 participants, a voucher-based incentive program significantly improved adherence to naltrexone maintenance treatment, especially in the contingent group who received vouchers for each dose ingested.

The contingent group not only retained treatment longer but also ingested more doses of naltrexone compared to the non-contingent and no-voucher groups, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted incentives in supporting recovery from opioid dependence.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improvement in naltrexone treatment compliance with contingency management. Preston, KL., Silverman, K., Umbricht, A., et al.[2019]

Offering free safe rides (SRs) home can lead to a higher average blood alcohol concentration (BAC) among drinkers, but only a small percentage (24%) of users moved from a low-risk to a high-risk BAC category when using SRs.

Most respondents (72%) did not change their BAC categories when using SRs, and the overall infrequent use of SRs (about 3.69 times per year) suggests that concerns about increased drinking due to SR availability may be overstated.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Do drivers drink more when they use a safe ride? Harding, WM., Caudill, BD., Moore, BA., et al.[2019]

The Evesham Saving Lives program, which subsidized rideshare trips from bars and restaurants, led to an 18% reduction in injury crashes in participating townships, indicating its effectiveness in preventing alcohol-related traffic injuries.

The program was particularly effective at night, with a 38% reduction in crashes during those hours, and is estimated to have saved around three lives and prevented approximately 371 injuries, highlighting its potential for significant public health benefits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Assessing the impact of a local community subsidised rideshare programme on road traffic injuries: an evaluation of the Evesham Saving Lives programme. Humphreys, DK., Degli Esposti, M., Williams, FM., et al.[2022]

A survey of 2017 U.S. adults revealed that 68% of parents with children under 10 have used ridesharing services, indicating a significant trend in rideshare use among families.

Most U.S. states do not require child restraint systems in rideshare vehicles, which raises safety concerns as many children may be at risk of injury due to inadequate restraint during rideshare trips.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rideshare use among parents and their children. Ehsani, JP., Michael, JP., Gielen, A.[2021]

Citations

1. reporter.nih.gov reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11088782

Impacts of Subsidized Ridesharing on Drunk Driving ... Most available evidence identifies that access to ridesharing is associated with fewer alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes. Providing access to subsidized ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457520315608

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of subsidized ridesharing ... An estimated 1 in 4,310 drink-driving trips results in an alcohol-attributable crash, so the coupons prevented an estimated 3.2 crashes. Consistent with that ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04949711

Impacts of Subsidized Ridesharing on Drunk Driving ... The overall goal of this study is to test the effects of subsidized ridesharing as an intervention to reduce self-reported alcohol-impaired driving, along with ...

4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32866769/

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of subsidized ridesharing ... Results: 70.8% of 19,649 responding coupon redeemers said coupon use reduced the chance they would drive after drinking. An estimated 1 in 4,310 ...

5. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-alcohol-drinking-9-2021-f860a

Ridesharing Vouchers for Drunk Driving · Info for Participants Trial Overview The study tests if giving out ridesharing vouchers reduces drunk driving, alcohol consumption, and affects how people move around compared to ...

6. scholarlycommons.hcahealthcare.com scholarlycommons.hcahealthcare.com/northtexas2025/4/

"Effects of Rideshare Services on Alcohol Related Motor ... Since the initiation of rideshare services, there has been a statistically significant decrease in alcohol related MVC fatalities from 22.8% in 2009 to 17.2% ...