Driver Distraction

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Cell Phones and Driving
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Study by Jane Stutts, Ph.D. University of North
Carolina Highway SafetyResearch Center May 2001
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Cell Phones and Driving

• Why Dont We All Keep Our Eyes on the Road and
  Our Minds on Driving?

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All Too Typical
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Driver Distraction

• Research suggests 25 of crashes are
  distraction-related
• Social and economic costs for these crashes
  approach an estimated 40 billion annually

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Why All the Attention Now?

• Explosion in cell phone use
• New technologies (navigation systems, traveler
  information systems, etc.)
• Greater complexity of old technologies (radios,
  sound systems, vehicle displays, etc)
• People spending more time in cars
• Hot media topic
• Fear of new technology

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New Issue or Old?
1983
1913
1996
2000
1954
1930
Radios
Mobile Phones
Email, Internet, etc.
Windshield Wipers
Drive-Up Windows
Telematics Devices
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How Do Distractions Affect Driving Ability?

• Drivers react more slowly
• Drivers often fail to recognize potential hazards
• Drivers reduce their margin of safety

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Types of Distraction

• Visual
• Auditory
• Physical
• Cognitive

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National Automotive Sampling System
Crashworthiness Data System Data

• Annual probability sample of 5,000
  police-reported crashes
• Based on passenger vehicles towed from the scene
  or with airbag deployed
• Professional crash investigators examine
  vehicles, drivers, witnesses

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Project Tasks

• Analysis of 1995-1999 CDS crash data
• Analysis of narrative data from the CDS and North
  Carolina crash reports.

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Distracted Driver Crashes

• Outside object, person, event
• Adjusting radio, cassette, CD
• Other occupant in vehicle
• Moving object in vehicle
• Using other device or object
• Vehicle / climate controls
• Eating / drinking
• Using/dialing cell phone
• Smoking related
• Other
• Unknown distraction

• 29.4 (602 cases)
• 11.4
• 10.9
• 4.3
• 2.9
• 2.8
• 1.7
• 1.5 (42 cases)
• 0.9
• 25.6
• 8.6

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PA Study results were similar to Foundation Study

• Top 3 sources of driver distraction in identical
  order
• Cell phone use in 8th place in AAA Foundation
  study and tied for 6th place in the PA study

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(No Transcript)
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• Talking on the phone while driving is dangerous,
• but is a ban on hand-held phones the answer?

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Congressional Activity
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Existing Laws
(enacted as of May 2002)
Source MultiState Associates
State Preemption (3)
Hand-held cell phone banning law (1)
Study/data collection laws (3)
Teen driver ban on cell phones law (1)
Comprehensive distracted driving law (1)
State Preemption and study law (1)
School bus driver ban on cell phones (1)
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Legislative Activity
(pending legislation as of May
2002)
Source MultiState Associates
Total cell phone banning legislation pending (2)
Hand-held cell phone banning legislation pending
(6)
Both hand-held and total cell phone banning
legislation pending (3)
Both hand-held banning and comprehensive
distracted driving legislation pending (2)
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Common Observations

• Many sources of driver distraction (new old)
• Difficulty collecting good data
• Potential under-reporting of cell phones
• Need for further research
• Laboratory, crash, and observation studies
• Hands-free vs. Hand-held
• Increased public education (novice drivers)
• Role of legislation still being debated

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Stay Focused - Keep Your Mind on the Road
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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 research and education
about the causes of traffic crashes. It is
supported by by donations from AAA/CAA Clubs,
AAA/CAA members, and other organizations
associated with the American Automobile
Association/Canadian Automobile Association.