The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) commissioned the Griffith Criminology Institute to undertake a review of the distracted driving literature and a related policy scan. This report contains three main parts: a narrative review of distracted driving, a scoping review of the research in this field from 2015-2020 and a policy scan including a review of legislation within Australia and a selection of comparable jurisdictions and interviews with stakeholders.

There are several areas where research in distracted driving can focus in the future. This includes:

• other forms of distraction apart from mobile phones
• the effect of infotainment as well as the position of these systems and technologies within the vehicle and;
• improving the design of roadside advertising to limit distraction.

There is also a need to better understand the effect of driver distraction on particular sub-populations such as those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, brain injuries, those with particular personality factors and professional drivers. When considering the root cause of driver distraction, research exploring ‘mind wandering’ requires further investigation. Additionally, interventions could consider the best way to involve third parties and apply legal levers to reduce driver distraction. In conclusion, future research studies should consider more holistic and system-wide approaches that include the entire road safety socio-technical system.