Distraction of Using Cell Phones while Driving

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Distraction of Using Cell Phones while Driving A
Review of Research, and an Analysis of Louisiana
Surveys and Crash Data
Presented by Dr. Helmut Schneider lhsc.lsu.edu Lac
rashdata.lsu.edu
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Crashes Associated with Distractions
DISTRACTION EVENTS CELL PHONE CELL PHONE CELL PHONE CELL PHONE OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PAGER, PALM PILOT, NAVIGATION DEVICE, ETC.) OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PAGER, PALM PILOT, NAVIGATION DEVICE, ETC.) OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PAGER, PALM PILOT, NAVIGATION DEVICE, ETC.) OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES (PAGER, PALM PILOT, NAVIGATION DEVICE, ETC.) OTHER INSIDE THE VEHICLE OTHER INSIDE THE VEHICLE OTHER INSIDE THE VEHICLE OTHER INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Year FAT INJ PDO TOT FAT INJ PDO TOT FAT INJ PDO TOT
2009 16 735 1510 2253 1 187 293 481 14 2259 4208 6483
2008 10 818 1456 2284 2 146 281 429 25 2414 4270 6709
2007 10 810 1575 2395 1 179 269 449 24 2513 4400 6937
2006 10 787 1500 2297 2 140 258 400 18 2612 4636 7266
2005 6 792 1335 2133 0 180 255 435 25 2807 4751 7583
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Is using cell phones while driving a distraction?

• Literature
• Louisiana surveys
• Crash data

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The Questions

• Is cell-phone use while driving a danger?
• Are hands-free cell phones safer than hand-held
  cell phones when driving?
• How much does cell-phone use while driving
  contribute to crashes?

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Is cell-phone use while driving a danger?

• Literature A Definite YES
• Survey What do Louisiana drivers think about
  hand-held cell phones?
• It is very dangerous 43
• It is at least somewhat dangerous 82
• They could drive safely with it 46
• Support a law banning it while driving 65

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Are hands-free cell phones safer than hand-held
cell phones when driving?

• Literature Not a clear answer
• Most say NO some say YES
• Survey What do Louisiana Drivers think about
  hands-free cell phones?
• They are more safe 57
• They could drive safely with it 66
• Oppose a ban 61

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Hand-held versus hands-freeThe Confounding
Issues

• Calling
• Locating your phone
• Dialing
• Talking
• Hanging up
• Putting the phone back

• Answering a call
• Locating your phone
• Answering
• Talking
• Hanging up
• Putting the phone back

• Most hands-free phones on the market are not much
  different with respect to the tasks.
• Most research does not distinguish between tasks.

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How much does cell-phone use while driving
contribute to crashes?

• Lab experiments
• Epidemiological studies using crash data
• Some of the claims are not well supported
• Examples
• Fourfold increases in crash risk
• As bad as driving drunk

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Task Oriented Studies Show Moderate Risks
Associated with Cell Phone Use(Virginia Tech
Study)
CELL PHONE TASK Risk of Crash or Near Crash event
Dialing Cell Phone 2.8 times as high as non-distracted driving
Talking/Listening to Cell Phone 1.3 times as high as non-distracted driving
Reaching for object (i.e. electronic device and other) 1.4 times as high as non-distracted driving
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Survey Data

• Attitudinal Survey
• About 32 of the drivers surveyed used their cell
  phone on their last trip
• Observational Survey
• 9.2 of drivers on Louisiana roads were using
  hand-held cell phones

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Crash Data and Cell Phone Use 1999-2008

• Cell-phone usage increased by 300
• Crashes increased by 3
• Risk of licensed driver being involved in a crash
  decreased by 1 percentage point, from 11 to
  10.
• Less than 1 of crash reports indicate cell phone
  usage, 90 of them for vehicle at fault
• But 16 of crashes should have cell phones
  involved

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Conclusions

• Cell-phone use while driving is distracting and
  drivers are aware of it. Specifically,
• Dialing like texting is most distracting
• Only true hands-free phones are more safe
• Young drivers are most affected
• Relation to crashes unclear, but
• Delayed reaction to critical situations
• Slow down traffic (annoyance)

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Conclusions - Continued

• While there is strong public support for ban of
  hand-held cell phones while driving
• Cell phones have benefits
• Difficult to legislate common sense
• Effective enforcement unlikely
• Public awareness campaign may help
• Company policies help