Cell Phones and Driving:

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Cell Phones and Driving Research Update
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AAA Foundation

• Established in 1947
• 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit
• Research affiliate of AAA/CAA
• North American Focus

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Mission

• Identify traffic safety problems
• Foster research that seeks solutions
• Disseminate information and educational resources

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Funded through the generosity of

• and its members

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• Two surveys used in this analysis
• 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index
• CARAVAN omnibus survey

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Whats the Problem?

• As of Dec 2007, 84 of U.S. population or 255
  million people were cell phone subscribers? The
  2.1 trillion minutes used talking reflects a 300
  increase from 2000. (CTIA-The Wireless
  Association)
• Approximately 11 of drivers were using hand-held
  or hands-free phones while driving at any given
  moment during the day in 2007 (NHTSA)
• Studies looking at phone records of
  crash-involved drivers have reported phone use
  while driving increases the risk of an accident
  by a factor of 4.

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The Research

• AAA Foundations Traffic Safety Culture Index
• Nationally-representative telephone survey of
  U.S. adults ages 18
• Conducted from October 25, 2007 through January
  10, 2008 by NuStats, LLC
• Surveyed a random sample of 2,509 U.S. adults on
  a variety of traffic safety issues, including
  cell phone use while driving.
• Opinion Research Corporations CARAVAN
• Nationally-representative cost-shared omnibus
  telephone survey
• Surveys conduced from September 4 through
  September 8, 2008 included questions from the AAA
  Foundation on cell phone use while driving.

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Survey Results

• Both surveys found more than half of all drivers
  admitted talking on a cell phone while driving in
  the past 30 days, specifically
• 53 of drivers (TSC Index) and 61 (CARAVAN)
  report talking on a cell phone while driving at
  least occasionally
• 16-17 (both surveys) report doing this regularly

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Younger Drivers

• Surveys indicated that younger drivers are more
  likely to use a cell phone while driving the
  oldest age groups
• but its not just young drivers.
• Drivers aged 25-34 had highest rates of any cell
  phone use (TSCI) and of regular cell phone use
  while driving (both surveys)
• Over half of drivers aged 45 to 54 reported using
  cell phones while driving at least occasionally
  (both surveys)

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Rates of Driver Cell Phone Use by Age
Full bar any usage Shaded portion often
or very often
Based on data collected in the AAA Foundations
2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index
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Text Messaging while Driving

• Both surveys found that a significant minority of
  people admit reading or sending text messages or
  emails (hereafter text messages) while
  driving
• 14 of drivers (TSC Index) and 17 (CARAVAN)
  report text messaging while driving at least
  occasionally
• 3 (both surveys) report doing this regularly
• Young drivers (ages 18-24) were by far the most
  likely to do this

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Text Messaging while Driving by Age

• Full bar any usage Shaded portion often
  or very often

Based on data collected in the AAA Foundations
2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index
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Do as I Say, Not as I Do

• TSC Index survey found that 83 of drivers felt
  that drivers using cell phones was a serious
  problem ? But 46 of those same drivers later
  admitted to using a cell phone while driving!

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People think hands-free is safer (It isnt)

• 2 out of every 3 drivers think that using a
  hands-free cell phone while driving is safer than
  using a hand-held phone...
• BUT virtually all studies have found that using
  hands-free phones while driving is no safer than
  using a hand-held cell phone.

Based on data collected in the CARAVAN survey
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Too many Americans are driving around with a
false sense of security that hands-free devices
are somehow safer, which could be a deadly
mistake.-J. Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation
President CEO
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• To view the full Cell Phones and Driving
  Research Update report or find other information
  about traffic safety culture, go to
  www.AAAFoundation.org.

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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a
501(c)(3) public charity located in Washington,
DC that is dedicated to saving lives and reducing
injuries. It is supported by donations from
AAA/CAA Clubs, AAA/CAA members, and other
organizations associated with AAA/CAA.