Dr Cassandra Gauld

Biography

Cassandra's research interests include:

• young drivers
• distraction
• smartphone use while driving
• drink driving
• public education messages
• regional/rural issues

Her PhD thesis was entitled ‘A theory-based approach to the development and evaluation of public education messages aimed at social interactive technology use among young drivers’ and was nominated for a University Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award.  It investigated driver distraction resulting from the use of social interactive technology accessed on smartphones while driving (e.g., Facebook, text messages). Her research focused on young drivers aged 17 – 25 years given their high crash risk, relative to other road user groups, and their increased likelihood to use smartphones and the additional social interactive technologies. Her Honours thesis entitled ‘Concealed texting while driving: Applying an extended theory of planned behaviour’ won the 2012 RACQ Best 4thYear Psychology Thesis in Road Safety. She won the ‘John Kirby Award for the Best Paper by a New Researcher’ at the RSRPE conference for her paper entitled ‘Effect of mobile phone use and aggression on speed selection by young drivers: A  driving simulator study’. She has been invited to present at several community and stakeholder seminars and regularly engages with the media regarding drivers’ smartphone use.  In 2016, she was invited to act as a judge for the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Co-Lab initiative where young people designed advertising messages against mobile phone use while driving.

Current Projects:

• ‘From restricted to open licence: Does increasing the legal BAC for young drivers cause more harm than good?’

• ‘A Road Safety Intervention to Modify Attitudes and Behaviour towards Mobile Phone use while Driving'
• ‘An Exploration of the Motivations for Participation in Phase One Human Clinical Trials’

Past Projects:

• ‘Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Advertising Billboards on Road Safety Behaviour’