WASHINGTON—A new government study examining actual driver habits when behind the wheel found cell phone use the most common distraction for operators of motor vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which characterized as “landmark” research findings from the 100-car naturalistic driving study, said the number of crashes and near-crashes linked to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. As such, researchers said dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.
“This important research illustrates the potentially dire consequences that can occur while driving distracted or drowsy. It’s crucial that drivers always be alert when on the road,” said Jacqueline Glassman, acting administrator of NHTSA. Her remarks were made during a news conference today at VTTI in Blacksburg, Va.
The study tracked the behavior of the drivers of 100 vehicles equipped with video and sensor devices for more than one year. During that period, vehicles were driven nearly 2 million miles, yielding 42,300 hours of data. The 241 drivers of the vehicles were involved in 82 crashes, 761 near crashes, and 8,295 “critical incidents.”
“The huge database developed through this breakthrough study is enormously valuable in helping us to understand—and prevent—motor vehicle crashes,” said Dr. Tom Dingus, director of VTTI.
States and cities around the country have responded to distracted driving by outlawing driver use of hand-held cell phones, while permitting hands-free devices. However, U.S. government officials and academics point to research showing hands-free gadgets do not improve driver attention.
The mobile phone industry was not immediately available for comment.
