State Farm is collaborating with the MIT AgeLab on research examining driver attention, distracted driving and how technology influences decisions behind the wheel.

The initiative centers on “drivefulness,” a term researchers use to describe drivers who are aware, appropriately engaged and prepared to respond to road conditions. It combines State Farm’s experience with crash risk and driver behavior with the MIT AWARE initiative’s research in transportation safety, behavioral science and human interaction with technology.

The first phase examines how people perceive and manage attention while driving through consumer surveys. In its October 20 announcement, State Farm said initial findings were expected later that month. A second phase, beginning in January 2027, will examine how drivers, technology and the driving environment can work together to improve safety.

Separate State Farm research found that 68% of drivers admitted to distracting behaviors behind the wheel, while 44% reported a crash or near-crash while engaging in those behaviors.

The collaboration builds on State Farm’s participation in MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium, which studies how drivers interact with increasingly automated vehicles. It also complements the insurer’s telematics tools and work with Cambridge Mobile Telematics on reducing driving risk.