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Cell Phones and Driving:

Research Update


AAA Foundation

• Established in 1947

• 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit

• Research affiliate of AAA/CAA

• North American Focus


Mission

• Identify traffic safety problems

• Foster research that seeks solutions

• Disseminate information and

educational resources


Funded through the generosity of

and its members


Two surveys used

in this analysis:

• 2008 Traffic

Safety Culture

Index

• CARAVAN

omnibus survey


What’s the Problem?

• As of Dec 2007, 84% of U.S. population or 255 million

people were cell phone subscribers The 2.1 trillion

minutes used talking reflects a 300% increase from

2000. (CTIA-The Wireless Association)

• Approximately 11% of drivers were using hand-held or

hands-free phones while driving at any given moment

during the day in 2007 (NHTSA)

• Studies looking at phone records of crash-involved

drivers have reported phone use while driving increases

the risk of an accident by a factor of 4.


The Research

AAA Foundation’s Traffic Safety Culture Index• Nationally-representative telephone survey of U.S. adults

ages 18+

• Conducted from October 25, 2007 through January 10,

2008 by NuStats, LLC

• Surveyed a random sample of 2,509 U.S. adults on a

variety of traffic safety issues, including cell phone use

while driving.

Opinion Research Corporation’s CARAVAN• Nationally-representative cost-shared omnibus telephone

survey

• Surveys conduced from September 4 through September

8, 2008 included questions from the AAA Foundation on

cell phone use while driving.


Survey Results

Both surveys found more than half of all drivers

admitted talking on a cell phone while driving in

the past 30 days, specifically:

• 53% of drivers (TSC Index) and 61% (CARAVAN)

report talking on a cell phone while driving at least

occasionally

• 16-17% (both surveys) report doing this regularly


Younger Drivers

• Surveys indicated that younger drivers are more

likely to use a cell phone while driving the oldest

age groups…

• …but it’s not just young drivers.

• Drivers aged 25-34 had highest rates of any cell

phone use (TSCI) and of regular cell phone use

while driving (both surveys)

• Over half of drivers aged 45 to 54 reported using

cell phones while driving at least occasionally (both

surveys)


Rates of Driver Cell Phone Use by Age

*Full bar = any usage Shaded portion = often or very often

**Based on data collected in the AAA Foundation’s 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index


Text Messaging while Driving

Both surveys found that a significant minority of

people admit reading or sending text messages

or emails (hereafter “text messages”) while

driving:

• 14% of drivers (TSC Index) and 17% (CARAVAN)

report text messaging while driving at least

occasionally

• 3% (both surveys) report doing this regularly

• Young drivers (ages 18-24) were by far the most

likely to do this


Text Messaging while Driving by Age

*Full bar = any usage Shaded portion = often or very often

**Based on data collected in the AAA Foundation’s 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index


“Do as I Say, Not as I Do”

• TSC Index survey found that 83% of

drivers felt that drivers using cell phones

was a serious problem But 46% of

those same drivers later admitted to

using a cell phone while driving!


People think hands-free is safer

(It isn’t)

• 2 out of every 3 drivers* think that using a

hands-free cell phone while driving is safer

than using a hand-held phone...

• …BUT virtually all studies have found that

using hands-free phones while driving is no

safer than using a hand-held cell phone.

*Based on data collected in the CARAVAN survey


“Too many Americans are driving around with a

false sense of security that hands-free devices

are somehow safer, which could be a deadly

mistake.”

-J. Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation President & CEO


To view the full “Cell Phones and

Driving: Research Update” report or

find other information about traffic

safety culture, go to

www.AAAFoundation.org.

http://www.aaafoundation.org/


The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

is a 501(c)(3) public charity located in

Washington, DC that is dedicated to

saving lives and reducing injuries.

It is supported by donations from

AAA/CAA Clubs, AAA/CAA members,

and other organizations associated with

AAA/CAA.


To learn more about driving safe and

choosing a protective automobile, visit

http://www.suntrupautomotivefamily.co

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