What is distracted driving? How often are drivers distracted? How does distraction impacts driver performance and crash risk? What countermeasures may be most effective and what can states do to reduce distracted driving? In an effort to answer these questions, the
The report, “
“Despite all that has been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know,” said GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha, who oversaw the report’s development. “Much of the research is incomplete or contradictory. Clearly, more studies need to be done addressing both the scope of the problem and how to effectively address it.”
GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha stressed, “While distracted driving is an emotional issue that raises the ire of many on the road, states must take a research-based approach to addressing the problem. Until more research is conducted, states need to proceed thoughtfully, methodically and objectively.”
Other conclusions from the study:
• Cell phone use increases crash risk to some extent but there is no consensus on the size of the increase.
• There is no conclusive evidence on whether hands-free cell phone use is less risky than hand-held use.
• Texting probably increases crash risk more than cell phone use.
• The effects of other distractions on crash risk cannot be estimated with any confidence.
• Laws banning hand-held cell phone use reduced use by about half when they were first implemented. Hand-held cell phone use increased subsequently but the laws appear to have had some long-term effect.
