Mobile Intervention for Drunk Driving

Overseen By Jenni B Teeters, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Western Kentucky University

Disqualifiers: Substance use treatment

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if text message-based interventions can reduce cannabis-impaired driving among young adults. The study will test three approaches: providing information, giving personalized feedback, and offering personalized feedback with interactive text messages. It seeks participants who have driven three or more times after using cannabis in the past three months. By comparing these methods, the trial aims to identify the most effective strategy for reducing risky driving behavior. As an unphased trial, participants can contribute to innovative research that may lead to safer driving practices.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you are currently in treatment for substance use, you would not be eligible to participate.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

A previous study found that personalized feedback without a counselor effectively reduced alcohol use and related issues. Another study showed that this approach significantly lowered the risk of driving after heavy drinking. When combined with text messages, research found that personalized feedback led to a greater decrease in substance-impaired driving over time. An interactive text message program also proved more effective at reducing risky driving behavior among young adults than assessments alone.

These methods are generally well-received, with no major reports of negative effects in these studies. Although this trial is labeled "Not Applicable" for its phase, the methods resemble those tested in other studies, suggesting they are safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these treatments for reducing drunk driving because they leverage personalized feedback and digital communication to engage participants directly. Unlike traditional programs that might offer general information, this approach tailors feedback to each individual's substance use and driving patterns, making it more relevant and impactful. The use of text messages for follow-up questions not only enhances engagement but also provides continuous support and reflection, which are key for behavior change. By integrating modern technology with personalized insights, these treatments aim to be more effective and accessible than standard interventions.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for reducing cannabis-impaired driving?

Research has shown that personalized feedback and text message programs, both tested in this trial, can help reduce drunk driving. Participants may receive personalized feedback and text messages. One study found that this combination helped students report driving less often after drinking, three months later. Another study demonstrated that a program using text messages led to a significant drop in drunk driving within the same period. Alternatively, participants may receive personalized feedback alone, which has been shown to lower risky driving by providing specific information about substance use and its effects. These findings suggest that both methods can help reduce drunk driving among young adults. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jenni Teeters, PhD

Principal Investigator

Western Kentucky University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking adults over 18 who have driven after using cannabis at least three times in the past three months. They must have a valid driver's license, access to a vehicle they plan to drive in the next six months, and be willing to read materials and exchange texts with the study team. People currently in substance use treatment cannot participate.

Inclusion Criteria

Ability to speak, read, and write in English

I have a valid email address.

Reports having access to a motor vehicle, a valid driver's license, and plans to drive a vehicle in the next 6 months

Exclusion Criteria

Currently in treatment for substance use

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Baseline Assessment

Participants complete baseline measures and are randomly assigned to one of three groups: personalized feedback, personalized feedback with interactive text messages, or information only.

1 week

Intervention

Participants receive either substance use information, a substance-impaired driving personalized feedback intervention, or a substance-impaired driving personalized feedback intervention plus interactive text messages.

1 week

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in driving behavior and perceptions at 3 and 6 months post-intervention.

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Information Only
• Personalized feedback
• Personalized feedback and text messages

Trial Overview The study tests if text messages can help reduce driving under the influence of cannabis among young adults. Participants are randomly assigned to get just information, personalized feedback, or personalized feedback plus interactive texts. Their driving habits will be checked after 3 and 6 months.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Personalized feedback and text messages Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Following the baseline assessment, participants will be sent a link via text message to a secure website containing substance-impaired driving specific personalized feedback (described above). Participants will be asked to send a text message back to the study administrator after viewing the feedback document. After confirming receipt and processing of the document, the study administrator will then send the participant three text messages containing open-ended questions.

Group II: Personalized Feedback Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Following the baseline assessment, participants will be sent a link via text message to a secure website containing substance-impaired driving specific personalized feedback. Feedback will include the following elements: a personalized substance use profile and substance-impaired driving profile, information on social norms related to substance use and substance-impaired driving, personalized information on BAC (or level of impairment due to drug use) prior to driving, costs associated with a DUI citation in Kentucky, and information on combined drug and alcohol impaired driving risk (if endorsed).

Group III: Information only Active Control 1 Intervention

Students randomized to the information condition will receive standard information about alcohol and other drugs and substance-impaired driving via a link to a website delivered through text message.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Western Kentucky University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

12

Recruited

1,400+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Personalized drinking feedback interventions (PFIs) are effective in reducing harmful alcohol misuse among college students, based on a comprehensive review of 41 studies.

Interventions that included components like decisional balance, practical costs, and risk-limiting strategies showed significantly larger effects, highlighting the importance of these elements in developing effective feedback-based interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Personalized feedback interventions for college alcohol misuse: an update of Walters & Neighbors (2005). Miller, MB., Leffingwell, T., Claborn, K., et al.[2022]

A smartphone application designed to help reduce unhealthy alcohol use was found to be acceptable and useful among 130 adults, with significant reductions in weekly drinking (from 15.0 to 10.9 drinks/week) and binge drinking (from 95.4% to 64.3%) after 3 months.

Participants who used the application more than once reported a 30% reduction in weekly alcohol consumption, indicating that increased engagement with the app may lead to better drinking outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Smartphone application for unhealthy alcohol use: A pilot study. Bertholet, N., Daeppen, JB., McNeely, J., et al.[2022]

A mobile phone-based Brief Alcohol Intervention (BAI) specifically targeting driving after drinking significantly reduced the likelihood of college students driving after consuming three or more drinks, compared to an informational control group.

The study involved 84 college students and showed that those who received the mobile BAI reported a greater decrease in both the number of drinks consumed before driving and the likelihood of engaging in driving after drinking at a 3-month follow-up.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Mobile Phone-Based Brief Intervention With Personalized Feedback and Text Messaging Is Associated With Reductions in Driving After Drinking Among College Drinkers. Teeters, JB., Soltis, KE., Murphy, JG.[2019]

Despite receiving feedback about their blood alcohol level (BAL), 83% of college-aged patrons who were legally intoxicated still chose to drive after leaving a drinking establishment, highlighting a concerning disregard for safety.

The study found a strong correlation (0.82) between self-reported alcohol consumption and Breathalyzer measurements, indicating that individuals were generally accurate in estimating their BAL based on their drinking habits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of feedback on legally intoxicated drivers. Meier, SE., Brigham, TA., Handel, G.[2019]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03496129

An Interactive Text-Message Based Brief Intervention to ... ... driving, costs associated with a DUI citation in Kentucky, and information on combined drug and alcohol impaired driving risk (if endorsed). Intervention ...

2. onlinelibrary.wiley.com onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dar.13848

Effectiveness of web‐based personalised feedback ... We performed subgroup analyses to compare effects of gender-neutral and gender-specific PFIs on university student drinking, and to compare ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4515415/

Effects of Brief Alcohol Interventions on Drinking and Driving ... The current study indicated that BAIs were associated with modest reductions in drinking and driving and that these results were stable after controlling for ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6240004/

A Mobile Phone–Based Brief Intervention With ... Feedback included the following elements: a personalized drinking profile and DAD profile, information on social norms related to drinking and DAD, personalized ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0740547222001490

A randomized pilot trial of a mobile phone–based brief ... Previous research has shown that in-person, counselor delivered BIs can successfully reduce alcohol impaired driving among DUI offenders, emergency department ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10810297/

A randomized pilot trial of a mobile phone–based brief ... After completing baseline measures, the study randomly assigned participants to one of three conditions: a) a substance impaired–driving personalized feedback ...

7. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/57/1/125/6137891

Do Brief Alcohol Interventions Reduce Driving After Drinking ... BAIs lowered the risk of driving after four+/five+ drinks (19% difference in the odds of driving after drinking favoring BAIs vs. control), but ...

8. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/368007430_An_Interactive_Personalized_Feedback_and_Text-Messaging_Intervention_is_Associated_with_Reductions_in_Substance-Impaired_Driving

An Interactive Personalized Feedback and Text-Messaging ... Analyses revealed the personalized feedback plus text-messaging led to significantly greater reductions over time in the number of times driving ...