What is the trial about?
Young drivers are at increased risk of crashing
Young drivers comprise
14%
of licence holders yet
25%
of all serious crashes
are young drivers
Road crashes account for
1
5
in
deaths of young people
Young driver crash risk
Source: VicRoads (2023). Reducing P driver crash risk & Transport for NSW (2023). Young drivers ;
Transport is the
rOAD transport emissions ARE increasing
3
rd
largest source
of emissions
18%
of Australian
greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions
Highest growing source of emissions
51%
since
1990
Road transport and cars
respectively comprise
85%
and
46%
of all transport emissions
Source: Climate Council (2016). What's the deal with transport emmissions?
THE Smart TRIAL
The SMART Trial aims to reduce road crashes and vehicle emissions among young drivers in NSW by trialling a new intervention that rewards drivers for safer and more sustainable driving.
recruiting
600
young drivers
using technology
to monitor your driving
smartphone app
provides drivers feedback
*This research is conducted by The University of Melbourne, supported by government agencies and has been approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (ID 2024-29214-53857-4)
click here to join the trial
What’s in it for you?
You can be rewarded up to $120 and have the chance to win $100 vouchers every week just by driving
click here to join the trial
What do you have to do?
Download the app
Complete a 10-minute questionnaire
Complete a 10-minute post-trial questionnaire
Drive as you
normally would
click here to join the trial
Are you eligible?
Young driver
You are between
18-23 years old
Licence
Have a P1 licence (first provisional licence or red Ps) registered in NSW
Vehicle
Have access to a vehicle you drive regularly
Smartphone
Have a smartphone
with location services
click here to join the trial
What info does the app provide?
Speed
How fast you go
Distraction
Using a mobile phone
Emissions
Fuel consumption and emissions
Smoothness
Braking and cornering
Usage
Travel distances and frequency of trips
Download
You can download the DrivePoints app from your app store.
We will email you an activation code once you have registered for the study (using the “join the trial” button).
click here to join the trial
frequently asked questions
How can I withdraw from the trial?
You are welcome to withdraw from the trial at any point, although you may not be eligible to receive financial compensation. To withdraw, please contact the research team at smart-thus@unimelb.edu.au.
How do I install and activate the app
Once you have registered, we will send you an email with a link to download the app to your smartphone, and an activation code. Once you have installed and activated the app, you can follow the steps provided on screen to set it up.
Why am I not seeing anything in the app?
No one will see any information in the app during the first and last four weeks of the trial. Depending on the groups you will be assigned to, you may not see anything in the app during the entire trial - but in order to be eligible for the draw, please ensure that your location services remain switched on for the app the whole time!
general
APP
&
SMS
I'm about to reach the end of my P1 licence, can I still join?
Yes! As long as you are on your P1 licence at the time of joining, you'll be eligible.
Why am I receiving SMS messages & when can I expect them?
You will receive weekly SMS. You'll receive two messages during the first four weeks of the trial. After the first four weeks, you will receive a message indicating the start of the weekly draw. Depending on the groups you will be assigned to, you will be informed about your safe and sustainable driving account, your DrivePoints and EcoPoints scores, and your monthly targets.
For the next 20 weeks, you'll get a message every Sunday announcing the weekly draw winner. After this 20-week period, there will be a final 4-week period where you will only get two messages, the last one including the questionnaire you'll have to complete to conclude the trial.
How will I know when the trial has started?
You will receive an SMS message on the first day of the trial given that you have successfully activate the DrivePoints app
How will I know when the trial has ended?
At the end of the trial, you will receive an SMS message with a link to the post-trial questionnaire. Once you have filled out this questionnaire, the trial will be completed.
What can I see in the app?
You may be able to see feedback on your driving in the form of a DrivePoints and EcoPoints score that based on factors like how fast you've been driving relative to the area's speed limit, how harshly you're braking or accelerating.
How can I check how much money is left in my safe driving account?
If you have a safe / sustainable driving account, you will receive an update on your balance every month via SMS
Weekly draw and
safe driving account
How will I know who won the weekly draw?
Every Sunday, the winner of the weekly draw will be announced via SMS.
I won the weekly draw, how will I get my voucher?
The research team will contact you to confirm your choice of either a $100 Uber Eats or petrol voucher. You will then receive a text message with your voucher details. Please contact the research team (smart-thus@unimelb.edu.au) if you won the draw but didn't receive your voucher.
How will I get the funds from my safe driving account?
If you were eligible for a safe/sustainable driving account, at the end of the 28-week trial, you'll receive an SMS message with a link to complete the final questionnaire. Once you have done this, the research team will be in touch via phone or email to coordinate depositing the remaining funds of your safe driving account into a nominated bank account.
Data security and privacy
How is my data being used?
Your data will be used to see whether feedback and/or financial compensation had an effect on improving your DrivePoints and EcoPoints scores. We will also use your NSW drivers licence information to check with Transport for NSW whether you were involved in any police-reported crashes during the trial.
Am I being tracked, and is my data secure?
Your data will only be used for research purposes and is handled according to the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) guidelines. The app will collect data on your car's movements, but all of your data is de-identified and stored in a secure database, and is only used for research purposes.
Does this project have Ethics approval?
Yes, this project was approved by the University of Melbourne Human Ethics Committee and assigned the number: 29214 RED_117 SMART
Contact
Mailing Address
Transport, Health and Urban Systems Research Lab.
The University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
Website: https://msd.unimelb.edu.au/thus
Email Address
smart-thus@unimelb.edu.au
*This research is supported by government agencies and has been approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (ID 2024-29214-53857-4)