10 ways that cellphones dangerously distract drivers
By Denny Jacob | March 04, 2019 at 12:00 AM
Despite public campaigns and advances in vehicle technology, distracted driving continues to plague roads and highways in the U.S.
Preliminary numbers from the National Safety Council estimate that roughly 40,000 people lost their lives to car crashes in 2018. Distracted driving likely contributed to that figure.
To understand how cellphones distract drivers, The Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business conducted an online pilot survey. The 386 respondents reported driving at least three times a week and owning a smartphone. Among its findings, distracted driving was predicted by gender, overconfidence and positive attitudes towards cellphones, among other factors.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month begins in April, which is just around the corner. In the slideshow below, respondents were asked “How likely are you use to your phone while driving…” on a scale of 0-100%. With this in mind, here are some of the key takeaways from The Risk Institute’s latest findings:
Parking Lots: Men 40.8%| Women 46.1%| Overall 43.5%|
Percentage responding "never" 7.3%
During the day: Men 27.6%| Women 29.1%| Overall 28.4%|
Percentage responding "never" 11.4%
On empty streets: Men 26.5%| Women 27.0%| Overall 26.7%|
Percentage responding "never" 12.7%
While Bored: Men 24.5%| Women 19.7%| Overall 22.1%|
Percentage responding "never" 26.4%
In traffic: Men 21.7%| Women 17.8%| Overall 19.7%|
Percentage responding "never" 27.5%
On residential streets: Men 20.1%| Women 18.5%| Overall 19.3%|
Percentage responding "never" 19.9%
At night: Men 20.7%| Women 16.11%| Overall 18.4%|
Percentage responding "never" 21.5%
On the Highway: Men 15.5%| Women 10.7%| Overall 13.1%|
Percentage responding "never" 37.3%
In rain: Men 14.2%| Women 10.3%| Overall 12.2%|
Percentage responding "never" 35.0%
In snow: Men 9.4%| Women 5.7%| Overall 7.5%|
Percentage responding "never" 55.7%