Effective prevention is based on science. The Council's focus on cell phone distracted driving, and its recommendation to ban hands-free and handheld phone use while driving, is based on the extensive research available. Here you'll find links to studies on cell phone distracted driving.
These papers compile the findings of many studies, which is convenient to get an overview of the issue:
Is a hands-free phone safer than a handheld phone?
Ishigami & Klein. (2009). Journal of Safety Research. 40; 157–164.
Analysis of the Literature: The Use of Mobile Phones While Driving
Brace, Young & Regan. (2007). Monash University Research Centre.
Cell phones and driving: review of research
McCartt, Hellinga, Braitman. (2006). Traffic Injury Prevention. 7; 89-106.
A meta-analysis of driving performance and crash risk associated with the use of cellular telephones while driving
Caird, et al. (2005). Department of Psychology University of Calgary, Honeywell, Human Factors North. PROCEEDINGS of the Third International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design. 478-485.
The Impact of Cell Phone Conversations on Driving, A Meta-Analytic Approach
Horrey & Wickens. (2004). Technical Report. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Effects of Cellular Telephones on Driving Behaviour and Crash Risk: Results of Meta Analysis
Caird, et al. (2004). CAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Studies listed include the Canada and Australia studies that both identified an elevated crash risk of four times:
2010 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2011). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
NOTE: Beginning with 2010 data, NHTSA is using a new measure of distracted driving crashes. The new definition is more narrow, intended to focus on distractions most likely to affect crash involvement. Thus 2010 distraction numbers cannot be compared to previous years.
Distracted Driving 2009
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Trends in Fatalities From Distracted Driving in the United States, 1999 to 2008
Wilson. (2010). American Journal of Public Health. 100(11):2213-2219.
Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: a case-crossover study
McEvoy, et al. (2005). BMJ. 331(7514):428
The role of driver distraction in traffic crashes
Stutts, et al. (2001). AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
Cellular Phone Use While Driving: Risks and Benefits
Lissy, et al. (2000). Harvard Center for Risk Analysis. Phase 1 Report.
Crashes Induced by Driver Information Systems and What Can Be Done to Reduce Them
Green. (2000). University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Association between cellular telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions
Redelmeier & Tibshirani. (1997). New England Journal of Medicine, 336; 453-458.
This NSC white paper includes an extensive bibliography of research studies about cognitive distraction and hands-free phone conversation while driving:
Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while using hands-free phones is risky behavior
White paper. (2010). National Safety Council.
This NSC white paper includes an extensive bibliography of research studies about cognitive distraction and phone conversation while driving:
Understanding the distracted brain: Why driving while using hands-free phones is risky behavior
White paper. (2010). National Safety Council.
Research listed here is focused on texting:
The Effect of Text Messaging on Driver Behavior: A Simulator Study
Reed & Robbins. (2008). Published Project Report PPR 367. Transport Research Laboratory.
The effects of text messaging on young novice driver performance
Hosking, Young & Regan. (2006). Report No. 246. Monash University Accident Research Centre.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Model Texting Legislation
This study examined cell phone use while driving as well as alcohol-impaired driving:
Fatal Distraction? A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk Driver
Strayer, Drews, Crouch. (2006). Human Factors. 48(2);381-391.
People often ask how cell phone conversation differs from talking with passengers. Here is information about the difference:
Passenger and Cell Phone Conversations in Simulated Driving
Drews, Pasupathi, Strayer. (2008). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. 14(2): 392-400.
These studies estimate how many drivers are using cell phones, through direct observation of drivers in traffic, self-report surveys or other methods:
Driver Electronic Device Use in 2010
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2011). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Driver Electronic Device Use in 2009
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Driver Electronic Device Use Observation Protocol
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Driver Electronic Device Use in 2008
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2009). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Databases
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2009). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Driver Electronic Device Use in 2007
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2008). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Observed Driver Phone Use Rates in Canada
Burns, Lécuyer, Chouinard. (2008). Transport Canada. Proceedings of the 18th Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference.
Driver Cell Phone Use in 2006 — Overall Results
Glassbrenner & Ye. (2007). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Observed Driver Phone Use Rates in Canada
Burns, Lécuyer, Chouinard. (2008). Transport Canada. Proceedings of the 18th Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference.
Driver Cell Phone Use in 2005 — Overall Results
Glassbrenner. (2005). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Passenger Vehicle Driver Cell Phone Use Results from the Fall 2000 National Occupant Protection Use Survey
Utter. (2001) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
A message from NSC regarding evaluation studies of state legislation:
NSC Applauds IIHS Efforts to Understand Effects of Cell Phone Use Legislation - New Findings Support Need for Total Ban
These studies examine the effectiveness of laws and enforcement:
High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Programs in Connecticut and New York Reduce Hand-Held Phone Use
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010). Traffic Safety Facts Research Note.
Phoning While Driving
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (2010). Status Report.
Phoning While Driving
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (2009). Status Report.
Longer-term effects of Washington, DC, law on drivers hand-held cell phone use
McCartt & Hellinga. (2007). Traffic Injury Prevention. 8(2):199-204.
Effects of Washington, D.C. law on drivers hand-held cell phone use
McCartt, Hellinga, Geary. (2006). Traffic Injury Prevention. 7(1):1-5.
Longer term effects of New York State's law on drivers handheld cell phone use
McCartt & Geary. (2004). Injury Prevention. 10(1):11-5.
Drivers use of handheld cell phones before and after New York State's cell phone law
McCartt, Braver, Geary. (2003). Prevention Medicine. 36(5):629-35.
Studies that focused on teens, novice drivers and young adults:
Distracted Driving Among Newly Licensed Teen Drivers AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2012).
Teens and Distracted Driving: Texting, talking and other uses of the cell phone behind the wheel
Madden & Lenhart. (2009). Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Distracted Driving and Driver, Roadway and Environmental Factors
Singh. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2010). Technical Report. DOT HS 811 380.
Cell Phones and Driving: Research Update
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. (2008).
The Impact of Driver Inattention on Near-Crash/Crash Risk: An Analysis Using the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study Data
Klauer, et al. (2006). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Technical Report. DOT HS 810 594.
Effects of Simulator Practice and Real-World Experience on Cell-Phone–Related Driver Distraction
Cooper & Strayer. (2008). Human Factors. 50(6): 893–902.
Mobile telephone simulator study
Kircher, et al. (2004). Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute.
NHTSA Status Summary: Using Wireless Communication Devices While Driving
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2003). Obtained via Freedom of Information Act and published by the New York Times.
Distractions in Everyday Driving
Stutts, et al. (2003). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highway Safety Research Center, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
The Use of Mobile Phones in Road Traffic, SNRA inquiry into the use of mobile phones and other IT systems while driving
Patten, et al. (2003). Swedish National Road Administration.
Predicting the effects of in-car interface use on driver performance: an integrated model approach
Salvucci. (2001). International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. 55, 85:107.
Cell Phone Use
Monteressi. ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc.
Surveys have measured public support for hands-free, handheld and texting bans. Surveys also offer insight into driver attitudes, beliefs and behaviors:
National Distracted Driving Telephone Survey Finds Most Drivers Answer the Call, Hold the Phone, and Continue to Drive
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2011). Traffic Tech.
National Phone Survey on Distracted Driving Attitudes and Behaviors
Tison, Chaudhary & Cosgrove. (2011). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
New York Times/CBS News Public Opinion Poll
2009.
Third Annual Driving While Distracted Survey
Nationwide Insurance, 2009.
2009 Traffic Safety Culture Index
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2009.
The Harris Poll. Large majority of drivers who own cell phones use them while driving even though they know this is dangerous
Harris Interactive, 2009.
USDOT Distracted Driving Summit, 2010
USDOT Distracted Driving Summit, 2009
National Safety Council 2008 International Symposium on Distracted Driving
Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) 2005 International Conference on Distracted Driving
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