The prevalence of cell phone use while driving in a Canadian province

The use of a cell phone while driving has been recognized as a form of distracted driving across the world. Many countries have banned the use of handheld mobile devices while operating motor vehicles. In Canada, all the provinces and territories now ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Utilizing the 2011 annual Alberta Survey, this study examined the current prevalence of cell phone use while driving in the province of Alberta. Moreover, this paper investigated the impact of the perception of risk on actual behaviors, and if demographic factors played a role. Our results indicated that despite being cognizant of the risks involved, many Albertans (52%) still use cell phones (45% of cell phone users utilized hands-free devices) while driving. Logistic regression analysis indicated that gender, age, employment status, home ownership, household income, immigrant status, and risk perceptions were significant predictors of cell phone use while driving in the province. These findings imply that the use of cell phones while operating a vehicle remains quite high despite legislative efforts to limit such behavior.     

The impact of self-control and texting-related accidents on the relationship between mindfulness and mobile texting while driving behavior

Distracted driving behavior often occurs when drivers mindlessly send or receive text messages with their mobile devices. It is imperative to understand the relationship between mindfulness and texting while driving behavior because distracted driving behavior has led to a reported increase in texting related accidents and mortalities. Based on this report, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between mindfulness, self-control, frequency of texting-related accidents, near-miss accidents, and texting while driving behavior. Using a total of 609 adults with an average age of 34.11 (SD = 12.21), results showed that observe, aware, and describe were related to texting while driving. Additionally, we found evidence that self-control partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and texting while driving. Results also showed that near-miss texting while driving accidents moderated the relationship between mindfulness and texting behavior while driving. The observed inverse relationship between mindfulness and texting while driving can increase researchers’ understanding of self-control’s role in vehicular accidents triggered by texting. Implications and limitations are offered, along with suggestions for future research.     

Perceived risk vs actual driving performance during distracted driving: A comparative analysis of phone use and other secondary distractions

The present study attempts to explore the association of drivers’ risk perception towards phone usage as well as other everyday distractions (operating a music player and eating during driving), and their driving performance observed during these distracted conditions. For this purpose, driving simulator experiments were conducted with 90 participants to collect their driving performance data and a questionnaire was conducted to obtain their basic details along with their risk perceptions. Firstly, the driving performance was divided into clusters using hierarchical clustering and the clustered subgroups were compared for crash and non-crash cases to identify the groups having significant performance degradation. Based on this comparison, the driving performance subgroups were then divided into the following crash risk probabilities: High risk, Moderate risk and Low risk. Further, the associations of perceived risk with these performance subgroups and other potential factors were analyzed using association rules mining technique. Most of the drivers (72.06%) reported texting as an extremely risky task. But, surprisingly none of them considered conversation as an extremely risky task. However, in case of conversation, it was found that even though the professional drivers reported the task to be not at all risky, the observed crash risk was high for them (S = 5.21%, C = 67.86%), indicating an underestimation of the associated risk by the drivers. Similarly, the results revealed that for music player and eating tasks, drivers reported the distracting tasks to be less risky, but, in some instances, their driving performance was associated with higher chances of crash occurrence. Many interesting associations of risk perception and driving performance with respect to demographic and driving characteristics were also obtained. The findings can be useful while designing the awareness programs related to distracted driving with an aim to reduce such practices.     

Predicting intentions to text and call while driving using the theory of planned behaviour

There is extensive evidence that using a mobile phone while driving causes degradation in driving performance, and thereby results in reduced safety on the road. The present study examined intentions to use mobile phones while driving using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). A total of 212 Ukrainian drivers (mean age = 35 years SD = 10 years; males = 82%) completed a survey that included measures of the TPB components related to intentions to send or read text messages or to make or receive handheld phone calls across two different scenarios; one where they were running late, and the other when they were not in a hurry. Measures of the frequency of mobile phone use were also collected. The results showed that 63% of the sample reported using a mobile phone while driving at least daily, with the most frequent types of usage being making and answering a phone call with a handheld device. The most consistent predictor of intentions to interact with a mobile phone while driving was having a positive attitude towards doing so. Perceived behavioural control was also significantly and positively associated with mobile phone use while driving, but only a small number of associations were found with subjective norms. Our results suggest that intentions to interact with mobile phones while driving may be context specific.     

The roles of delay and probability discounting in texting while driving: Toward the development of a translational scientific program

A sample of 109 college students completed a survey to assess how frequently they send or read text messages while driving. In a novel discounting task with a hypothetical scenario in which participants receive a text message while driving, they rated the likelihood of replying to a text message immediately versus waiting to reply until arriving at a destination. The scenario presented several delays to a destination and probabilities of a motor vehicle crash. The likelihood of waiting to reply decreased as a function of both the delay until the destination and the probability of a motor vehicle crash. Self‐reported higher frequencies of texting while driving were associated with greater rates of both delay and probability discounting. The degree of delay discounting was altered as a function of the probability of a motor vehicle crash and vice versa. These results suggest that both delay and probability discounting are important underlying mechanisms of drivers' decision to text while driving.     

An examination of the relationships between cannabis use,driving under the influence of cannabis and risk-taking on the road

IntroductionSome studies have suggested that regular cannabis users appear to exhibit a general reckless driving style that may contribute to an inflated estimate of collisions related to driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) among this group.ObjectiveThis study investigated whether patterns of cannabis use would predict levels of self-reported unsafe driving behaviours and levels of performance observed in a driving simulator.MethodThe study investigated 48 young cannabis users with respect to frequency of cannabis consumption, alcohol use, driving exposure, self-reported dangerous driving habits, impulsivity, sensation seeking and performance in a driving simulator.ResultsCannabis use was positively associated with DUIC, with sensation seeking and with self-reports of risky driving. An ANOVA confirmed a significant effect of levels of consumption of cannabis among participants on self-report risk-taking in driving. Moreover, the observed behaviours during the simulation tasks correlated with risky driving habits, and with the self-reported frequency of driving in the hour following smoking cannabis or immediately after drinking alcohol.ConclusionSince cannabis usage and DUIC appear to be related to an overall reckless style of driving, it is proposed that public safety policies should be more holistic, simultaneously targeting multiple on-road dangerous behaviours for intervention.     

An exploration of the effectiveness of in-person and online versions of the induced hypocrisy paradigm to reduce smartphone use among young drivers

Worldwide, smartphone use is a major contributing factor to road crash among young drivers. While young drivers may be aware of their heightened crash risk and the legal penalties associated with this behaviour, young drivers continue to engage with their smartphones. The development of novel interventions targeting this behaviour is therefore crucial. The current 2 × 2 between groups experimental study (N = 153, 107F, 43 M, 1 other) investigated the concept of cognitive dissonance in relation to smartphone use among young drivers aged 17–25 years (M_age = 20.66 SD = 2.26). Specifically, it applied the induced hypocrisy paradigm to this context. The induced hypocrisy paradigm elicits cognitive dissonance by asking participants to both advocate for the desired behaviour and identify their engagement in the undesired behaviour. Participants are then motivated to change their behaviour to reduce the feelings of dissonance. The current study investigated the efficacy of both the traditional in-person methodology with a new online methodology. Analyses (e.g., ANCOVA) found that the online conditions were more effective than the in-person groups at eliciting dissonance and that the intervention conditions were more effective in reducing both intention and change in behaviour (from pre- to post-intervention) than the control groups. The intervention groups were also more likely to take/request a flyer about driver distraction. While more research is needed to corroborate these findings, these initial results suggest that cognitive dissonance occurs when young drivers use their smartphones and that the induced hypocrisy paradigm may be an effective intervention. In particular, this study’s findings suggest that an online version of the induced hypocrisy paradigm has merit and may form part of future cost-effective, mass interventions.