Distractions pose threats to drivers

  • Published
  • Air Force Flight Test Center Safety Office
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Whether driving on base to work or going down to Lancaster to see a movie, talking on a cell phone without a hands free device is against the law, studies have found that distractions to the driver are the leading cause of traffic accidents. Talking on the cell phone or sending text messages while driving increses the risk for an accident. Not to mention the expensive ticket one could receive or the loss of driving privileges on base. Do not put lives at risk on the road by talking on a cell phone while driving.  

Using cell phones while driving is a very high risk behavior with significant impact on crashes and society. More than 50 peer-reviewed scientific studies have identified the risks associated with cell phone use while driving. 

Drivers who use cell phones are four times more likely to be in a crash while using a cell phone. There is no difference in the cognitive distraction between hand-held and hands-free devices.

Cell phone use contributes to about 6 percent of all crashes, which equates to 636,000 crashes, 330,000 injuries, 12,000 serious injuries and 2,600 deaths each year. 

Eighty percent of crashes are related to driver inattention. There are certain activities that may be more dangerous than talking on a cell phone. However, cell phone use occurs more frequently and for longer durations than other, more risky behaviors. Thus, the number one source of driver inattention is cell phone usage.

It is estimated that more than 100 million people use cell phones while driving. The annual cost of crashes caused by cell phone use is estimated to be $43 billion.

Many businesses understand the risk and are already taking action. Among NSC members that responded to a survey, 45 percent ( said their companies had a cell phone policy of some kind. Of those, 22 percent said they re-engineered their processes to accommodate the policy and 85 percent said the policy did not affect productivity. 

Information gathered from: National Safety Council, University of Utah,Harvard Center for Risk Analysis,Virginia Tech 100-car study for NHTSA,1997 New England Journal of Medicine examination of hospital records and 2005 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study linking crashes to cell phone records.