Adolescent and adult drivers' mobile phone use while driving with different interlocutors

Is distraction on the road associated with maladaptive mobile phone use? A systematic review

Maladaptive Mobile Phone Use (MMPU) (also known as Smartphone Addiction, Nomophobia, Fear of Missing Out, or Problematic Mobile Phone Use) is a growing mental health problem. However, the health and safety consequences of MMPU remain unexplored in many real-life contexts. A potential setting where MMPU may have some negative repercussions is on the road. It is well established that road users (e.g., drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists) increasingly injure themselves or others due to distractions such as phone use while on the road. Emerging research suggests that MMPU is a possible determinant of this risky behaviour. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the relationship between MMPU and mobile phone use behaviour on the road, as it could help guide and improve interventions aimed at increasing road safety. This systematic review investigated the relationship between maladaptive mobile phone use and mobile phone use behaviour on the road in terms of attitudes and risk perception, intention, phone use engagement, performance changes, and safety outcomes. A total of 44 studies were identified with 47 unique samples of road users, of which 68.1% (32/47) were comprised of drivers, 19.1% (9/47) were pedestrians, 8.5% (4/47) were unspecified road users, and there was one group of motorcyclists and cyclists. Our findings confirmed that MMPU is related to risky behaviour on the roads. In the 29 studies considering observed or self-reported behaviour, 90.9% (30/33) found that road users who scored higher in MMPU are more likely to use their phones on the road as cyclists, drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians. Of the nine studies that analysed performance changes, 55.6% (5/9) showed evidence that MMPU changes the performance of road users engaging in mobile phone use, meaning that there is evidence suggesting that MMPU determines the level of impairment. Of the nine studies that analysed the safety-related-outcomes, 66.7% (6/9) found that the higher the MMPU score, the more likely road users are to experience safety-critical traffic events. This review contributes to the literature by showing a pathway between the negative health consequences of MMPU and road trauma. We also identified that the quality of the studies was generally low due to study design and blinding aspects. This field of research also lacks standard practices as researchers avoid using established and well-validated questionnaires, often creating new ones to measure MMPU. This hinders the generalisability of the findings and raises questions about the construct validity and external validity of MMPU. The usefulness of future research would be enhanced by a consistent methodological approach using the same scales based on standard behavioural definitions. The cross-disciplinary nature of MMPU effects means that transport and road safety professionals need to work with healthcare professionals and technology organisations to understand and address MMPU as a contributing factor to road crashes.

The use of mobile phone while driving: Behavior and determinant analysis in one of the largest metropolitan area of Italy

The use of mobile phones while driving is one of the main causes of road accidents and it is a phenomenon in continuous growth. The key aim of this study is to analyse simultaneously knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward the use of mobile phones while driving in one of the largest and populous metropolitan areas of Italy, Naples. The data acquired from 774 questionnaires - administered to subjects evenly divided by gender and with an average age of 39 years - revealed that 69 % have used their mobile phone while driving at least once in their lifetime. Among those who used the phone, 63.6 % use it to make phone calls while 75.2 % only to answer them; 49.1 % read messages and only 33.3 % write them. It is also notable that 34.1 % do not stop to answer a call and only 10 % do not value the use of headsets while driving as fundamental. The results indicate that cell phone usage while driving is common in the study population, despite many having university-level education and satisfactory risks awareness. The multiple linear regression analysis shows how knowledge is not correlated to the behavior held. On the contrary, attitudes are strongly correlated to knowledge and behavior, meaning that good attitudes bring forth positive behavior. According to the collected data and statistical analysis, it is possible to identify factors that can greatly affect the use of mobile phone while driving and establish targeted prevention programs.

Factors affecting behavior of mobile phone use while driving and effect of mobile phone use on driving performance

This study analyzed factors affecting behavior of mobile phone use while driving and its effects on driving performance, in terms of speed, lateral position, steer deviation, steer speed, following distance, perception-reaction time, and occurrence of a near miss situation. To investigate the factors affecting behavior of mobile phone use while driving, 1106 respondents from four different regions in Thailand participated in the questionnaire survey study. Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to explain these factors including two additional extended factors which are risk perception and law enforcement knowledge. The outcome of this part shows that attitude, norm, and law enforcement knowledge significantly affect the intention and behavior of the drivers. Even though approximately 90 percent of drivers realized that using a mobile phone while driving was dangerous and against the law, they have reported that they still use mobile phone while driving. To determine the effect of mobile phone use on driving performance, a 2-lane, straight rural highway, with a leading vehicle and an unexpected "STOP" sign, were simulated in order to examine the driving performance of drivers "without a phone", "talking on a phone call", and "texting a message" conditions. The results found that using mobile phone while driving can reduce speed and following distance, but increase lateral deviation, steer deviation, steer speed, perception-reaction time, and number of near misses leading to higher risks for road crashes.

Head and Neck Injuries Associated With Cell Phone Use

Importance

As cell phones gain more influence in daily life, they also become potentially more hazardous. Injuries resulting from cell phone use have long been reported largely in the context of driving-related incidents, but other mechanisms of injury have been underreported.

Objective

To assess the incidence, types, and mechanisms of head and neck injuries associated with cell phone use.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Retrospective cross-sectional study using data from a national database of individuals with head and neck injuries related to cell phone use who presented to emergency departments in the United States between January 1998 and December 2017.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Incidence, types, and mechanisms of injury related to cell phone use in the US population.

Results

A reported total of 2501 patients (1129 [55.0%] female, 795 [38.8%] white, and 772 [37.6%] aged 13-29 years) presented with injuries of the head and neck related to cell phone use; the estimated weighted national total was 76 043 patients (42 846 females [56.3%], 34 894 [45.9%] white, and 29 956 [39.4%] aged 13-29 years). The most commonly reported subsites of injuries in the head and neck region included the head (33.1% of estimated total); face, including eyelid, eye area, and nose (32.7%); and neck (12.5%). The most common injury diagnoses included laceration (26.3% of estimated total), contusion/abrasion (24.5%), and internal organ injury (18.4%). Age group distributions showed that most injuries associated with cell phone user distraction occurred among individuals aged 13 to 29 years (60.3%; Cramer V = 0.29). In addition, those younger than 13 years were significantly more likely to sustain direct mechanical injury from a cell phone (82.1%) than to have a cell phone use-associated injury (17.9%) (Cramer V = 0.305), whereas a cell phone use-associated injury was more likely than a direct mechanical injury to occur among those aged 50 to 64 years (68.2% vs 31.8%; Cramer V = 0.11) and those older than 65 years (90.3% vs 9.7%; Cramer V = 0.29).

Conclusions and Relevance

Cell phone-related injuries to the head and neck have increased steeply over the recent 20-year period, with many cases resulting from distraction. Although the disposition of most cases is simple, some injuries bear a risk of long-term complications. Many of these injuries occurred among those aged 13 to 29 years and were associated with common activities, such as texting while walking. These findings suggest a need for patient education about injury prevention and the dangers of activity while using these devices.

Who uses a mobile phone while driving for food delivery? The role of personality, risk perception, and driving self-efficacy

INTRODUCTION

The existing literature on mobile phone use while driving (MPUWD) mainly targets the participants from general population and the young adults, however, few studies pay attention to this form of distracted driving with samples in professional contexts. The present study aims to bridge the gap by identifying the extent of and the motives behind making use of mobile phones while driving for food dispatch among deliveryman.

METHOD

The snowball sampling was used to collect the data (N = 317) through a self-reported questionnaire, including demographics, personality traits, risk perception, driving self-efficacy, and mobile phone use while driving.

RESULTS

Descriptive analysis for the assessed MPUWD behaviors showed that 96.3% (N = 315) of food deliveryman undertook the MPUWD behaviors, though disproportionate distribution among these behaviors existed. Structural equation modeling analysis displayed that psychoticism and driving self-efficacy directly predicted the MPUWD behaviors. The mediating role of driving self-efficacy was verified with the findings that driving self-efficacy completely mediated the relationships that between risk perception and MPUWD behaviors and that between extraversion and MPUWD behaviors, as well as partially mediated the correlation between psychoticism and MPUWD behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirms the prevalence of MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman. The SEM estimates and bootstrap estimates suggest that personality traits and perceived risk perception per se display limited predicting utility to MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman, whereas driving self-efficacy and the proposed predictors together well illustrate the assessed MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman. Practical Applications: These findings imply that developing and implementing intervention efforts in a concerted way would curb these behaviors effectively.

Understanding crash potential associated with teen driving: Survey analysis using multivariate graphical method

INTRODUCTION

Teen crash involvement is usually higher than other age groups, and they are typically overrepresented in car crashes. To infer teen drivers' understanding of crash potentials (factors that are associated with crash occurrence), two sources of data are generally used: retrospective data and prospective data. Retrospective data sources contain historical crash data, which have limitations in determining teen drivers' knowledge of crash potentials. Prospective data sources, like surveys, have more potential to minimize the research gap. Prior studies have shown that teen drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes during their early driving years. Thus, there is a benefit in examining how teen drivers' understanding of crash potentials change during their transition through licensing stages (i.e., no licensure to unrestricted licensure).

METHOD

This study used a large set of teen driver survey data (a dataset from approximately 88,000 respondents) of Texas teens to answer the research question. Researchers provided rankings of the crash potentials by gender and licensure stages using a multivariate graphical method named taxicab correspondence analysis (TCA).

RESULTS

The findings show that driving behavior and understanding of crash potentials differ among teens based upon various licensing stages. Practical applications: Findings from this study can help government authorities to refine policies of teen driver licensing and implement potential countermeasures for safety improvement.

Adolescents' perspectives on distracted driving legislation

PURPOSE

Distracted driving is a growing global epidemic, with adolescent drivers reporting frequent engagement in distracted driving behaviors. Public health initiatives and legislative efforts designed to decrease the prevalence of these unwanted driving behaviors have demonstrated small, but significant reductions in crash risk. Non-compliance is a known problem among drivers of all ages, but may be especially problematic for novice, adolescent drivers. Using a construct from the Health Belief Model, the relations between demographic factors, perceived threat to safety, and peer influences were investigated with adolescents' support for three types of distracted driving legislation regarding: (a) reading or sending text messages/emails while driving; (b) hand-held cell phone use while driving; and (c) using non-driving-related-in-vehicle (NDIV) technology while driving. Investigating adolescents' perceptions provides an opportunity to understand distracted driving enforcement and legislation.

METHODS

Three hundred and seventy-nine adolescents aged 15-19 (M = 16.12, SD = 0.56) were recruited from public high schools. Demographics, perceptions, and support regarding distracted driving were assessed using self-report surveys. Statistical analyses included bivariate correlations and adjusted odds ratios to investigate influences of adolescent support for distracted driving legislation.

RESULTS

Female adolescents were at 2 times greater odds of supporting a law against texting/emailing while driving compared to male adolescents. Greater perceived threat to safety was associated with all three types of distracted driving legislation (aOR = 1.10, 1.33). Minimal association was found with peer influences.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceived threat to safety and gender were associated with legislative support in adolescents. Practical application: Interventions and public health campaigns that incorporate elements related to perceived threat may be more successful with female adolescent drivers than male adolescents. Future experimental research will help to determine what factors affect adolescents' perspectives on distracted driving to promote compliance with related legislation.

Talking with teens about traffic safety: Initial feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a parent-targeted intervention for primary care settings

INTRODUCTION

The aims of the current pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the Talking with Teens about Traffic Safety Program. The program consists of a clinic-based health coaching session with parents of adolescents at their annual well-child visit to promote parent-teen communication about teen driver safety including: a Parent Handbook that is designed to serve as a primer on teen driver safety and facilitate parent-teen communication on a variety of teen driver topics; an interactive practice driving toolset; and an endorsement of the materials by the primary care provider.

METHOD

Fifty-four parent-teen dyads (n = 108 total) were recruited from a primary care practice. Dyads were randomized (1:1) into a treatment group or a usual care group. Implementation fidelity was assessed using checklists completed by health coaches and parent interviews. After 6 months, parents reported how often they talked with their teen about 12 safe driving topics (e.g., state graduated driver licensing laws).

RESULTS

Parents in the treatment group reported more frequent discussions than parents in the control group on 7 out of the 12 topics. Fidelity data indicate that 100% of sessions were implemented as designed and were acceptable to parents.

CONCLUSIONS

The program was feasible to administer and there was evidence for preliminary efficacy. Generally, effects were larger for more infrequently discussed topics, which is to be expected due to the potential for ceiling effects on more commonly discussed topics (e.g., distracted driving). A larger multi-site study is warranted.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The results from this pilot study provide support for implementation fidelity and establish a proof-of-concept for the Talking with Teens about Traffic Safety Program. The results provide guidance for developing partnerships with pediatricians and parents to develop parent-teen communication interventions on injury prevention topics.

Cost benefit study of a safety campaign's impact on road safety

The aim of this paper is to identify a break in the development trend of the time series of the number of fatal, light and heavy injuries in traffic accidents and compare the progress caused by the media campaign named "Think or you'll pay! "in the Czech Republic over the period 2000-2015. The campaign focuses on the age group of drivers under the age of 25 and the most common cause of their traffic accidents as the drivers in this age category are the most vulnerable group in road traffic. The campaign uses a method in which it tries to influence behaviour by negative action, or by causing negative emotions. The authors concentrate on the effects of mass media campaigns in the long-term development of accidents in the Czech Republic and a financial evaluation of the road safety campaign "Think or you'll pay! "by comparing the campaign costs, the cost of road fatalities, and the cost savings from the perspective of government expenditures. The secondary source data for the chart analysis and interpolation according to the criteria of analytical and mechanical balancing time series, the Chow test and Quandt Likelihood Ratio test, choosing the appropriate model trend of accidents and consequences of traffic accidents were obtained from the Czech Ministry of Transport, the database of The Losses due to Traffic Accident Rates (CZRSO) and the Czech Association of Victims of Traffic Accidents (CSODN, 2015) from period of 1990 till 2016. The impact of the media campaign "Think or you'll pay!", measured by enumerating the costs was compared with the number of fatalities in the years immediately after the campaign and the impact of the media campaign was evaluated and recognised. The conclusion and the highlights summarize the findings of research and the limits of media campaign evaluation approach.