Middle-Aged Drivers at Higher Risk of Crashes Due to Cellphone Use While Driving

Using a cellular phone while driving does create safety risks for the driver and passengers as well as other road users. Previous studies suggest that a driver's crash risk is eight times higher if they are texting on a cellphone and, despite seeming safe, talking hands-free makes drivers four times more likely to be involved in a crash. A new study has suggested that middle-aged drivers are at higher risk of crashes because they use their cellphones regularly while driving. Lead author Jessa Engelberg from University of California-San Diego, said, "Unfortunately, we weren't surprised to see that relatively few people understand the risks of distracted driving." The research team was surprised to find that the presence of children in the car did not affect drivers' behavior. Drivers continued to use their mobile phones with children as passengers, even with older children who were more likely to copy their driving behavior.

The investigators modified a survey to find out more about the driving behaviors of middle-aged adults (30-64 years old). The results revealed that 75% of participants talk on cellphones hands-free, and almost 90% of them consider themselves capable or very capable drivers while doing so. Less than 30% of participants knew that talking on a hands-free phone increases the risk of crashing to the same degree as driving at the legal alcohol limit.

Co-author professor Linda Hill said, "The thing about middle-aged drivers is their passengers tend to be minors, and there's an issue of modelling if the adults are teaching them how to drive."

More than one-third of the study participants said that they felt pressured to answer work calls while driving, suggesting that there is an opportunity to reduce distracted driving by working with companies to educate both the employers and their employees.

Source-IANS