A video resource, grounded in behavioural change theory has been developed to help reduce the use of hands-free phones.

Aimed mainly at professional drivers, all drivers can utilise it and provide a valuable training tool.

It aims to debunk the myth that it is safer than using a hand-held device.

Joint forces

The resource was developed and produced by the Kier Group, Kier Foundation and Nottingham Trent University and has been rolled out by the Kier Group to its staff.

It represents another project funded by The Road Safety Trust and is available for professionals and organisations to access via The Road Safety Trust website.

Despite being legal, research studies have demonstrated that hands-free calls can be just as distracting as hand-held calls while driving.

As a result, an increasing number of companies are bringing in policies to ban both hand-held and hands-free calls while driving for work – but face an uphill task in convincing drivers to adhere to such policies.

Dialling up

The project used a survey of over 400 fleet drivers and a focus group of experts to identify current ‘myths’ that people who drive for work rely on to justify hands-free use while driving.

Using the gathered views and attitudes, a road safety video was then created to debunk often well-entrenched views around driving and phone use directly.

The myths were:

  • Hands-free is legal, so it must be safe
  • Driving is ‘dead time’
  • Hands-free is safe because your eyes are on the road and hands are on the wheel
  • Hands-free is no different to talking to a passenger
  • I need to use hands-free communication for work

Calling in

Created in collaboration with Esitu Solutions, the video has been evaluated in a study that compared mobile phone use and attitudes towards mobile phone use (both hand-held and hands-free).

A group of drivers watched the video, as well as a control group who watched a road safety video unrelated to phone use.

This process of selecting the myths and creating the videos provided a robust protocol for future video-based interventions to follow.

Analysis demonstrated clear improvements in safety-related attitudes regarding mobile phone use while driving in the intervention group compared to the control group.

Getting through

When asked directly whether the myth-busting video had changed their understanding of the dangers of mobile phones, 95% said that their knowledge of the dangers of mobile phone use had increased.

Meanwhile,80% said that they would limit or altogether avoid hands-free mobile phone use while driving in the future.

Ray Webb, group senior insurance claims manager, Kier Group, said: “This work with the Road Safety Trust and Nottingham Trent University will help to educate and protect everyone on the roads about the dangers of hands-free calls.”

Professor David Crundall, Nottingham Trent University, commented that despite “the dangers of hands-free phones for decades, the message has just not got through”.

Crundall added: “Now, through our work with Kier, we have demonstrated that it is possible to present the evidence in such a way as to change drivers’ attitudes to hands-free use.

“Our next challenge is to make sure as many drivers as possible are exposed to this message.”

Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, says that “despite its legality, it is well understood that the use of hands-free mobile phones is a danger to drivers”.

“As a result, this resource can play a key role in helping organisations to keep their drivers safe on the roads, such is their responsibility. We encourage them to make use of it.”