Citation

Benedetti MH, Li L, Shen S, Kinnear N, Delgado MK, Zhu M. J. Saf. Res. 2022; 83: 204-209.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2022.08.016

PMID

36481010

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Concurrent use of a cellphone while driving impairs driving abilities, and studies of policy effectiveness in reducing distracted driving have yielded mixed results. Furthermore, few studies have considered how hands-free phone use associates with handheld phone bans. It is not clear whether hand-held phone bans dissuade some drivers from using the phone while driving completely, or whether it simply promotes a shift to hands-free use. The present study estimates the association between handheld phone policies and self-reported talking on hands-free and handheld cellphones while driving.

METHODS: Our data consisted of 16,067 respondents to annual administrations of the Traffic Safety Culture Index from 2012-2017. Our primary exposure variable was handheld phone policy, and our primary outcome variables were self-reported talking on any phone, self-reported talking on a handheld phone, and self-reported talking on a hands-free phone while driving. We estimated adjusted prevalence ratios of the outcomes associated with handheld phone bans via modified Poisson regression.

RESULTS: Drivers in states with handheld bans were 13% less likely to self-report talking on any type of cellphone (handheld or hands-free) while driving. When broken down by cellphone type, drivers in states with handheld bans were 38% less likely to self-report talking on a handheld phone and 10% more likely to self-report talking on a hands-free phone while driving.

CONCLUSIONS: Handheld phone bans were associated with more self-reported talking on hands-free phones and less talking on handheld phones, consistent with a substitution hypothesis. Handheld bans were also associated with less talking on any phone while driving, supporting a net safety benefit.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In the absence of a national ban on handheld phone use while driving, our study supports state handheld phone bans to deter distracted driving and improve traffic safety.

Language: en

Keywords

Policy; Traffic safety; Distracted driving; Handheld phone policies; Handheld phone use while driving; Hands-free phone use while driving