Handheld Cell Phone Use Linked to Risky Driving in Adolescents: Study

Risky driving behaviors are less affected by how long a teenager has had their license, than whether they are using handheld devices.

Although cell phone use has long been known to increase the risk of accidents among adolescents, new research suggests that it is a better predictor of risky driving behaviors than other factors, like the teenager’s sex, time of day they are driving or how long they’ve had their license.

Auto accidents are a leading cause of death and disability among teenagers, particularly since adolescents are more susceptible to distracted driving behaviors, which prior research has found significantly increases the risk of a crash.

In a report posted earlier this month on JAMA Open Network, researchers conducted a cross-sectional study of teenage drivers to analyze adolescent driving behaviors while using handheld cell phones. The findings suggest there is a strong correlation between teenage cell phone use while driving and the number of distracted driving incidents, which could lead to auto accidents and injuries.

In the study, a team of researchers led by Dr. Catherine C. McDonald of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, examined the driving behaviors of Pennsylvania teens licensed for 365 days or less.

Dr. McDonald’s team collected on-road driving data using a smartphone telematics app. The data collected included the duration of handheld cell phone use, hard-braking events, speeding and other trip information, such as the time of day, duration and weather conditions. All participants also completed a baseline questionnaire to report their demographic information, including race and ethnicity.

Risky driving behaviors were identified based on the number of hard-braking and rapid acceleration events that occurred during a specific trip.

Overall, the study confirmed that cell phone use alone significantly contributes to the number of risky driving events among teenagers. Individual characteristics, like how long the teen had held their license, their sex, the time of day or whether it was raining were not associated with increased risky driving events.

As a result, McDonald’s team concluded that further examination of cell phone use and speeding could provide valuable insights for developing safe driving initiatives that are specifically tailored toward adolescents.

The researchers emphasized that current safety efforts are not effective in addressing cell phone-related auto accidents, which are usually preventable. However, the study’s results indicate that using smartphone telematics apps to remotely collect driver data might help enhance future safety efforts.

Risky Driving Behaviors and Increased Accident Risks

A number of previous studies have linked distracted driving to an increase in auto accidents. For this reason, obtaining information about driver behaviors and motivations is critical to preventing vehicle crashes and fatalities.

One study published earlier this year found that ADHD symptoms can affect driving performance, especially when coupled with technology that might exacerbate distracted driving, such as car radios, cell phones or GPS systems.

Another study warned that certain roadside advertising can cause increased driver distractions, leading to the potential for more accidents. A further study showed that driver attitudes toward traffic laws impact traffic violations, and that these attitudes vary across nations and cultures.

Researchers have acknowledged that addressing these distracted driving patterns is essential for developing targeted interventions that can improve driving behaviors and enhance traffic safety across different populations.