Driver inattention is a leading cause of traffic crashes, responsible for about 80 percent of all collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cell phones are the #1 driver distraction, contributing to hundreds of thousands of crashes and thousands of deaths each year. This affects real people, real lives. Watch and hear the stories of the families featured above …
Talking on cell phones distracts our minds from driving. Beyond where our eyes and hands are while driving, it's the conversation that distracts. This is called cognitive distraction, and this is why hands-free and handheld phones have a similar crash risk – hands-free is not safer.
As an example of the research on the risk of cognitive distraction, see these MRI pictures of the brain from a Carnegie Mellon University study where people listened to sentences while driving on a simulator. The pictures show that just listening decreases an area of the brain also used for driving by 37%:
These real-life videos show how cell phones can distract from driving. See examples of all types of distraction caused by cell phones – eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, mind off of driving:
Teens are at very high risk of crashing while using cell phones and PDAs. They are the generation most likely to text. See this Dr. Phil interview with a texting teen and her concerned mom. This popular video shows the challenges of overcoming an overconfident teen driving mindset:
NSC and CTIA-The Wireless Association® offer this campaign for parents to explain the dangers of distracted driving and to tell teens when they're "On the Road, Off the Phone." The campaign's Website has a video and information for parents and teens to learn more about distracted driving.
NSC on CNN -- Watch the Video NSC's Dave Teater and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood discuss cell phone and driving issues with CNN's Campbell Brown show, October 1, 2009. The U.K. video shown during the interview is linked below.
One Man. One Bike. 16,000 Miles. Ride the Americas. In August-October 2009, Tony Anschutz travelled a two-month, 16,000-mile solo motorcycle adventure in the western U.S., Canada and Mexico, to raise awareness about the dangers of cell phone use while driving.
Cell Phones & Driving FAQs
Cell Phones & Driving Fact Sheet
Cell Phones & Driving Research
New York Times – Driven to DistractionAn ongoing comprehensive NY Times special series about cell phones and driving published in 2009.
Teen Texting Video from Gwent Police Dept in the U.K.This U.K. video went viral in 2009 and posted here on YouTube. Contains graphic simulated crash content; requires age verification.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Q&A on Cell Phones and Driving
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