Abstract
Objective: To provide a baseline of various driving behaviors and to identify opportunities for prevention of distracted driving during the infancy of state laws that prohibited cellphone use while operating a motor vehicle, the 2010–2011 Distracted Driving Survey collected information on multiple distracted driving behaviors from lower-income clients of three designated, multi-purpose public health centers in Los Angeles County.Methods: Descriptive and multivariable negative binomial regression analyses were performed to examine patterns of driving distractions using the Distracted Driving Survey dataset (n = 1,051).Results: The most common distractions included talking to other passengers (n = 912, 86.8%); adjusting the radio, MP3, or cassette player (n = 873, 83.1%); and adjusting other car controls (n = 838, 79.7%). The median number of distinct distractions per survey participant was 11 (range: 0–32). Factors predicting the number of distinct distractions included being male [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 1.23], having a lower education (IRR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.84), and having more years of driving experience (IRR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.33, 2.11). A variety of distractions, including cellphone use and texting, were predictive of increased motor vehicle crashes in the prior 12 months (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Distracted driving beyond cellphone use and texting were common in the survey sample, suggesting a need for additional public education and more inclusive distracted driving laws that cover these other activity types.
Highlights
Distracted driving (DD) is a serious public health problem in the United States (U.S.), resulting in 3,166 and 599 deaths involving drivers and non-occupants, respectively, in 2017 [1]
The Distracted Driving Survey (DDS) was completed by 1,051 participants, for a response rate of 95%
The present analysis of the DDS provides a unique narrative of a multitude of driving behaviors during the early implementation of DD legislation in California
Summary
Distracted driving (DD) is a serious public health problem in the United States (U.S.), resulting in 3,166 and 599 deaths involving drivers and non-occupants, respectively, in 2017 [1]. The estimated number of fatalities from distraction-affected crashes has fluctuated very little during the past 5 years−2,923 in 2013 to 2,935 in 2017. This public safety problem is exacerbated by the increasing sources of distraction behind the wheel, in part attributed to the ubiquity of in-vehicle information systems from emergent technologies [2]. In response to this burden of fatality as well as injury, U.S government entities have begun to implement legislative as well as public education strategies to combat this issue. The month of April has been designated as “Distracted Driving Awareness Month” by the National Safety Council
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