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Cell Phone Bans While Driving May Have Limited Impact on Accident Rates
Published on:
A study into motorist behaviour suggests that those who use mobile phones while driving are inherently more risky drivers anyway, leading to the possibility that the ban on driving while using a mobile phone may be targeting the wrong end of the problem.
Measurements of actual highway driving performance, self-reported aberrant driving behaviours and attitudes toward speeding, passing behaviours and relative concern about being involved in a crash were assessed by researchers.
Part of the test involved actual driving along a highway using a vehicle modified to include an array of sensors to measure driving performance.
The study found that people who said they usually would use cell phones while driving were found to drive faster, change lanes more frequently, spend more time in the left lane, and engage in more instances of hard braking and high acceleration events. They also scored higher in self-reported driving violations on the DBQ and reported more positive attitudes toward speeding and passing than drivers who did not report using a cell phone regularly while driving.
The researcher said that the results indicate that a greater reported frequency of cell phone use while driving is associated with a broader pattern of behaviours that are likely to increase the overall risk of crash involvement.
In conclusion, the frequency of cell phone use appears to be related to broader behavioral and personality traits that need to be considered when developing distraction mitigation strategies.
On the web: Accident Analysis and Prevention
Tags: [USA]
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