Establishing a Theoretical Association between the Need for Social Connectedness and Distracted Driving
Distracted driving, a major cause of road crashes in the United States, includes all forms of activities in which the driver takes his or her eyes or attention from driving. The most prevalent secondary driving tasks are phone use while driving. Phones are not just communication tools but devices that foster social connectedness – the short-term experience that promotes feelings of belonging. This study seeks to understand the role of social connectedness as a factor affecting phone-related distracted driving.We first considered theories that address social behavior as an outcome, and that could be associated with social connectedness and distracted driving. Two theories met these criteria: the social network theory and the theory of planned behavior. The social network theory represents human interactions as nodes and ties while using the nodal and tie attributes as elements that can categorize, analyze and interpret causation. The theory of planned behavior, on the other hand, focuses on the human cognitive process as an explanation for a behavioral outcome. We generated the Bond-Intention Theory, a theoretical synthesis of the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Social Network Theory. The Bond-Intention Theory is a parsimonious way of explaining the association of the need for social connectedness and engagement in distracted driving activities. We appraised the current interventions aimed at preventing or reducing smartphone use while driving in the light of this theory and proffered ways at strengthening future interventions using the constructs of the Bond-Intention Theory.