FEEDBACK trial: Investigating the effect of a personalised feedback intervention on the incidence of road crashes

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By 2030, road crashes are predicted to be the fifth leading cause of death globally. Although Australia has made great strides in road injury prevention and safety, road fatality rates have plateaued over the last decade. Of concern is the fact that young drivers are overrepresented in road injury and fatality statistics in Australia - whilst young drivers comprise only 14% of all licence holders, they are involved in about one-fourth of all serious crashes (Australian Transport Council 2011). For young people aged 18-25, driving is a high-risk activity, with the risk of a crash greatest in the first six months of licensure (VicRoads 2005). In-vehicle telematics presents a promising technological means of reducing road trauma. Telematics technology generates real-time motor vehicle data, such as acceleration and braking information, providing drivers with direct feedback on driving performance. Moreover, linking safety-specific feedback with financial incentives may achieve safer driving behaviours. This study aims to assess whether personalised safety feedback linked to financial incentives will improve driving behaviour and reduce road crashes among novice drivers. This study will be the largest trial of personalised transport safety feedback delivered using telematics technology in Australia. Recent aforementioned research highlights that personalised driving feedback and financial incentives shape safer driving behaviours (Mortimer et al. 2006; Stevenson et al. 2018), and this study will extend this important finding by assessing the likely impact that personalised safety feedback and incentives have on reducing the likelihood of road crashes. This study will be a crucial step in advancing scientific knowledge around road safety and enabling large-scale implementation of interventions to reduce road trauma. A unique element of this trial is that it delivers across the entire state(s). Most technology trials have relied on participants and researchers in close proximity to ensure appropriate installation of the technology in-vehicle, and hence have been wholly delivered in urban environments. This trial, on the other hand, will overcome the underrepresentation of regional and rural young drivers in such studies. This is a significant strength as about two-thirds of serious injuries and fatal crashes occur in regional and rural areas. In the past decade, hospitalisations from road crashes in Australia have not declined. As such, the market penetration of technologies like telematics highlights the opportunity to reduce the burden of road traffic injury. Furthermore, this research will provide decision-makers with data in order to guide policymaking. Our research will generate new knowledge that can be directly translated into transport safety policies associated with all newly licensed drivers.