A new study led by Jeffrey Ebert, with coauthors Kit Delgado and Kate McDonald, tested scalable behavioral interventions to increase seat belt use and reduce distracted driving. The national randomized trial found that a shared incentive—where participants earned an equal share of a prize for consistent seat belt use—led to the highest buckling rate (91.3%) compared to other intervention groups. While handheld phone use did not change significantly, findings suggest that a shared incentive could be an effective strategy to improve traffic safety and reduce crash-related injuries.
Study Finds Shared Incentive Increases Seat Belt Use
