Abstract
BackgroundDriving after the consumption of alcohol represents a significant problem globally. Individual prevention countermeasures such as personalized mobile apps aimed at preventing such behavior are widespread, but there is little research on their accuracy and evidence base. There has been no known assessment investigating the quality of such apps.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine the quality and accuracy of apps for drink driving prevention by conducting a review and evaluation of relevant mobile apps.MethodsA systematic app search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. App quality was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Apps providing blood alcohol calculators (hereafter “calculators”) were reviewed against current alcohol advice for accuracy.ResultsA total of 58 apps (30 iOS and 28 Android) met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Drink driving prevention apps had significantly lower engagement and overall quality scores than alcohol management apps. Most calculators provided conservative blood alcohol content (BAC) time until sober calculations. None of the apps had been evaluated to determine their efficacy in changing either drinking or driving behaviors.ConclusionsThis novel study demonstrates that most drink driving prevention apps are not engaging and lack accuracy. They could be improved by increasing engagement features, such as gamification. Further research should examine the context and motivations for using apps to prevent driving after drinking in at-risk populations. Development of drink driving prevention apps should incorporate evidence-based information and guidance, lacking in current apps.
Highlights
Drinking and driving remains a significant public health issue globally despite ongoing prevention efforts [1]
Inclusion criteria were apps that either directly targeted drink driving prevention or apps that included information about alcohol use and its role in drink driving
By conducting a systematic and contextual review of relevant apps, we were able to determine that apps containing drink driving information and intervention strategies fell into 2 categories: drink driving prevention and alcohol management
Summary
Drinking and driving remains a significant public health issue globally despite ongoing prevention efforts [1]. One-third of crashes involve alcohol as a contributing factor [4] and as such, excessive alcohol use continues to be considered one of the main road safety concerns [5]. It is, necessary to utilize all available resources to increase drivers’ education and motivation to reduce drink driving behavior. Driving after the consumption of alcohol represents a significant problem globally. Individual prevention countermeasures such as personalized mobile apps aimed at preventing such behavior are widespread, but there is little research on their accuracy and evidence base. There has been no known assessment investigating the quality of such apps
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