Abstract
AimAlthough it is currently legal in Poland to use a hands-free mobile phone while driving, research suggests that it is not significantly safer than using a hand-held mobile phone. The present study used the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to examine the relationships that three types of beliefs (behavioural, normative and control beliefs) have with the frequency of drivers’ hands-free and hand-held mobile phone use.Subjects and methodsThe sample comprised 298 Polish drivers (35% females) aged between 18 and 40 years old (mean age: 21.05 years, standard deviation = 2.38).ResultsTwo multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) were conducted to investigate the differences between the two groups (hand-held and hands-free) of frequent and infrequent mobile phone users, with regard to their behavioural, normative and control beliefs. Significant differences were found in all of the control beliefs for both hand-held and hands-free mobile phone users. Similar normative differences were identified for both hands-free and hand-held mobile phone use, but while three behavioural beliefs differed significantly for hands-free use, no behavioural beliefs were significant for hand-held mobile phone use. Finally, composite measures of the behavioural and control beliefs were predictive of being a frequent hand-held mobile phone user, but none of the three beliefs were predictive of being a frequent hands-free user.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate potential directions for behavioural change aimed at reducing or preventing the use of mobile phones while driving.
Highlights
A large number of studies have been conducted in different parts of the world examining distracted driving caused by mobile phone use (Backer-Grøndahl and Sagberg 2011; Klauer et al 2014; Raman et al 2014; Rozario et al 2010; White et al 2004) and there is extensive evidence linking mobile phone use with an increased collision risk (e.g. Bener et al 2010)
We found significant differences in the frequency of mobile phone use while driving between hands-free users and those who only used a hand-held phone for making phone calls (χ2(2) = 9.605, p = 0.008)
There were significant differences in all the beliefs measured, with infrequent users believing that these factors were more likely to prevent them from using their phone while at the wheel
Summary
A large number of studies have been conducted in different parts of the world examining distracted driving caused by mobile phone use (Backer-Grøndahl and Sagberg 2011; Klauer et al 2014; Raman et al 2014; Rozario et al 2010; White et al 2004) and there is extensive evidence linking mobile phone use with an increased collision risk (e.g. Bener et al 2010). As early as 1997, Redelmeier and Tibshirani published a case-crossover study showing that talking on a mobile phone increased the risk of crashing by a factor of more than four They did not find a significant difference in the level of risk between hands-free and hand-held modes. A more recent study on novice drivers reported that the estimated increased risks among novice drivers were 8.32 for dialling, 0.61 for talking and 3.87 for texting or using the Internet (Klauer et al 2014) This is concerning as research has found that young people are more likely to use a mobile phone while driving (Tucker et al 2015)
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