Study Reveals Use of Cell Phone Causes Auto Crashes

Scott Smith

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

A study recently released by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the Virginia Technical Transportation Institute found that a driver's odds of being involved in an automobile crash or nearly crashing are twice as high when the driver looks away from the road for 2 seconds or longer. The study revealed distracted driving is nearly as serious a factor as impaired driving or speeding in causing automobile collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates distraction is a factor in 25% of all automobile crashes. Efforts to correct distraction was leveled at limiting the use of cell phones and other electronic devices.

The Governor's Highway Safety Association which advises states on traffic safety claims education is more effective than legislation in banning cell phones or other distractive electronic devices. The AAA studies were based on data collected from 109 drivers in the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia area. The drivers were monitored for a year by using in vehicle cameras and black box technology. The cameras caught drivers putting on make-up, reading, doing crossword puzzles and talking on cell phones.

Washington state began tracking automobile collisions in 2006 and found distractions also included interacting with passengers, animals or objects in the vehicle, grooming, eating, drinking and operating cell phones. The Washington research found that traffic collisions caused by any of 12 driver distractions accounted for 6.5% of 57,000 vehicle crashes during the first six months of 2006.