Safe Speed Forums

9 August 2013 Last updated at 15:18
Mobile phone drivers 'not linked' to accident figures
[Photo :] woman on phone
[Tag line:]Using a mobile phone while driving was banned in the UK in 2003.

Researchers have found no link between the number of US drivers making phone calls while on the road and the number of accidents recorded.
A team at Carnegie Mellon University and the London School of Economics analysed more than eight million incidents of car crashes and all fatalities on roads in eight US states.
They examined data before and after 9pm local time over a three-year period.
However they say their results do not include texting or internet browsing.
The timeslot was chosen because during the period studied (2002 - 2005) many American mobile phone operators offered free calls after 9pm during the week.
Prof Saurabh Bhargava from Carnegie and Dr Vikram Pathania from the LSE found that while there was an increase in callers using multiple phone masts after 9pm, there was no corresponding increase in the number of road accidents.

Dr Pathania told the BBC they were "very surprised" by the results.
"At first we thought the numbers were wrong. We went back and checked everything - but there was nothing going on at all," he said.
"We just know that we saw a big jump in cellphone use and there was no impact on the crash rate."

Further work
Dr Pathania added that the findings, published in the American Economic Journal, came with a number of caveats.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
At first we thought the numbers were wrong. We went back and checked everything - but there was nothing going on at all”

Dr Vikram Pathania
"We were only looking at talking, not texting or internet use. And it may be that the traffic conditions on the road at that time [9pm] are such that moderate use of cellphones does not present a hazard."
Further research should focus on smartphone use, and also overall phone use among different driver demographics, Dr Pathania added.
"It may look different if you focus on young males or new drivers," he said.
"Rash drivers will always find a way to distract themselves."

UK ban
With the exception of calls to the emergency services, using a mobile phone while driving was officially banned in the UK in 2003.
The Highway Code states that while hands-free sets are legal, drivers can still face penalties starting with three licence points and a £60 fine "if the police think you're distracted".
"Using a phone at the wheel increases the risk of a crash by four times," said Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
"Sadly, despite legislation which makes it illegal to do so, many people still use a mobile phone whilst driving."

IF I were a traf pol I would view someone like me, who on a traffic congested M6 and picks up my mob to report back to base where I am and why I'm late and explain that absolutely NOTHING is moving, very differently to someone driving/moving - but the law is a blunt instrument.

Using a mobile while driving is not automatically dangerous, at times it can be done perfectly safely.

Utter utter b****ks, a driver using a mobile phone immediatly cripples their ability to control the vehicle in relation to their ability to control it without using the phone.

If I use my mobile phone while driving

How stupid are you?

Simply using it put you in a situation where you clearly aren't in proper control of the vehicle, you've only got one hand free for a start.

If something happens and the police check your phone records you'll go down as using a mobile whilst driving.

If something happens WHILST you're using you mobile, well, you'll be in quite a lot of trouble.

Seriously, stop using the phone whilst driving, it's a f*****g stupid thing to do all round!

Oh do stop being such a rude and tiresome little twerp. Read (and try to understand) what I posted.

I understand all right! You choose to use your phone whilst driving, and I think you're an idiot for doing so!

To add, the driving environment in the US is very different to that in the UK, very few pedestrians on the roads, mostly straight roads on town, very few roundabouts, automatic cars.

No, Homer is right. You are distorting and exaggerating the situation, and that helps nobody.

Use of a mobile phone by a driver does not automatically 'cripple' his ability to control the vehicle safely. I would agree that drivers need to confine their mobile phone usage to situations where it can be done without detriment to safe driving, but so long as we do that, I don't see that a major problem is being created.

If I use my mobile phone while driving, I make sure that it is only done at times when the driving task is not too demanding, and I confine myself to brief and simple communications, and don't get involved with lengthy conversations involving complex issues or arguments and conflicts.

The sort of thing I certainly would not do includes anything to do with text messages, or internet browsing etc. That sort of thing really is asking for trouble in my view, and I certainly would not attempt to do that.

As far as I'm concerned there was no need for the law-makers to intervene in the way they have with driving/mobile phone usage, but they have done it and I think they've made a mess of it. As things stand I don't think it deserves respect and compliance.

Best wishes all,
Dave.