Safe Drive NZ
Improving driver behavior with strategic nudge-based interventions
Your Co-Pilot for safer driving
Safe Drive NZ is a navigation app that helps to address the main causes of automobile crashes.
Speeding
Distraction
Driver fatigue/tiredness
Driving to Weather Conditions
The app uses audio cues to alert drivers of potential risks related to these crash-causing factors.
How does it work?
Audio Nudges
Safe Drive NZ includes a number of different spoken alerts which are announced depending on the risk identified. These are guided by the principles of Nudge Based Intervention
"You have been driving for 2 hours. Please consider taking a 15-minute break for your safety."
"The current weather condition is rain. Please drive carefully as roads may be slippery, and turn on low beam head lights"
"Stay safe while driving. Using your phone increases crash risk by 2.8 times."
"Heads up! The speed limit here is 50km/h"
"Hey if you keep driving at this speed you'll only arrive 45 seconds earlier!"
"Warning! At this speed, you’re 1.2x more likely to have a major crash. Please slow down."
Technology
Smarter Navigation for
Safer Drivers
Most of the drives you do are the same every day, so you don't need to look at a map.Plug your destination into Safe Drive NZ and the app will keep an eye on your driving using best-of-breed technology to help you drive smarter and safer.
Virtual Speedometer
Safe Drive NZ uses your iPhone's accelerometer and GPS to monitor your speed so it can warn you if you're going too fast.
Accurate Speed Zones
Safe Drive NZ utilises a constantly updated database, provided by Waka Kotahi, of speed limit zones in NZ and instantly maps them to your location while driving.
Enterprise and Policy
Safer Drivers, Smarter Insights
Safer drivers, smarter insight. Safe Drive NZ for Enterprise offers a scalable driver management solution. Research-backed on-road behavioural improvement in your fleet's drivers and unparalleled data insights.
Research
Drivers across the country utilised Safe Drive NZ for a variety of journeys, with over 500km logged the following improvements were identified:
35% Reduction in Speeding
30% Reduction in Distraction
Behavioural improvements
In the trial, fundamental behavioural improvements were also observed. On each subsequent journey, the frequency of speeding infractions decreased. Drivers were learning and becoming safer.
NIWA Science Fair 2023
Overall Winner
Project Details
I asked drivers to use Safe Drive NZ over a few typical driving journeys. The app provided anonymised data which was then used to assess the effectiveness of audio nudges.
Baseline driving behaviour without audio interventions was collected on a driver's first complete journey.
Subsequent journeys including audio nudges were recorded to assess the effectiveness of the audio interventions.
Results
Speeding was the most frequent infraction type
35% decrease in speeding with audio interventions enabled.
Behaviour changes evident & replicated across multiple users and journeys.
Immediate rapid reduction of speed post audio interventions
35% reduction in distraction infractions per 100km
Prizes
NIWA Prize for best overall exhibit
Te Herenga Waka -- Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Science Innovation Prize
First in Class 5
Engineering New Zealand Prize
Te Herenga Waka -- Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Education
Te Herenga Waka -- Victoria University of Wellington School of Engineering and Computer Science
How to Test
TestFlight
Currently Safe Drive NZ is in beta mode so the more journeys logged, the better!Instructions on how to get Safe Drive on your phone are below.
Tap the link below to install TestFlight.
Come back here and tap the button below