Motorists Who Talk On Cell Phones Could Actually Be Safer Drivers, According To California Data

By Dennis Romero Wed., Jan. 12 2011 at 10:01 AM

Indiana Stan

A practicioner of safe driving techniques.

A 2003 study showing that driving while talking on your mobile phone is as dangerous as driving under the influence inspired lawmakers across the land -- including in California -- to ban driving while gabbing (and now, texting).

But new research suggests that people who cruise-and-talk could actually be safer drivers.

The academics think people could actually be more cautious when they have a handset to their ear (you know, like when you're keeping an eye out for cops).

True? Don't know.

Here are some details:

Economists Saurabh Bhargava from the University of Chicago and Vikram Pathania from he London School of Economics looked at times when mobile calling increased -- usually after 9 p.m. as a result of lower rates.

They focused on an 11-day span in California in 2005.

What they found was that, despite the rise in calling, there was no rise in crashing. They found similar data in other states.

Here's a thought, though: Maybe, just maybe, people don't drive as much after 9 p.m. either? Possibly?

In any case, the research should make us think twice before equating chatty Cathy with drunk Darryl.

[Jalopnik].

Tags:

cell phone, driving, drunk driving, DUI, mobile phone, study

We Recommend

C.D.

This from the National Safety Council on the phenomenon of "cognitive blindness" when using hands-free phones, let alone the added distraction of a handset, undercuts the economists conclusions. Full paper in pdf is at the link:

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road...

David Lawrence

I have read several blog entries that report things from this study. However, I have not been able to find the full original Bhargava/Pathania study anywhere. If someone has a link to the actual study please post it here.

A bit of background on Bhargava and Pathania: For several years they have been writing papers that oppose the idea dhat calling while driving is harmful. I haven't found any of their reports in peer-reviewed journals.

C.D.

The studies underlying this report concerning the hazards of "hands free" cell phone use - let alone the use of a handset - pretty much undercut the economists study:

http://www.nsc.org/safety_road...White paper in .pdf can be downloaded from the link

DLA

Romero's commentary suggest he hasn't actually read the study or interviewed anyone involved. The sampling was limited to calls that were switching from cell tower to cell tower, showing that the callers were on the move.

Markthisismark

Woooooooooooooooooooow, Dennis Romero, you have lost all respect i had for you.This article alone is evidence that the media is all a bunch of over-hyped garbage.Whats the next study? Driving drunk can expand your lifetime?

John Fischer

From what is being reported about this study, it has many holes and seems to be completely without merit. If you monitor accidents at a time of day when far less people are actually on the road, there will be a significant decrease in the margin of error. In other words, if I cross the yellow line or swerve to the right or to the left and there are no other vehicles to hit or vehicles to watch out for no accident will occur. Has it been reported who paid for this study?

Persnickety Cricket

You just made the case for de-criminalizing texting while driving as well as DUI! When you wrote, "if I cross the yellow line or swerve to the right or the left and there are not other vehicles to hit or vehicles to watch out for no accident will occur" you very succinctly highlighted an important element that U.S. courts continuously choose to ignore in DUI and texting while driving cases....unless the driver has indeed hit a vehicle, pedestrian, or other property, no crime has in fact occurred. However, most DUI and texting while driving suspects get charged and convicted of a DUI, not for damaging property or injuring or killing a person, but for the "probability" and "possibility" that the suspect may cause an accident. Imagine if we applied this same legal excuse to arrest minorities living in high-crime areas simply to prevent the possibility that they may commit a crime! And yet, we freedom-loving, gun-toting, flag-waving "patriots" and "members of the free world" sit and let our civil liberties be trampled upon under the guise of "prevention!" What an outrage! In the last century we fought against the "evils of Communism" and yet, today we allow illegal DUI checkpoints that eerily resemble unfettered checkpoints used by the former Soviet Union against its own citizens.......

Rodney

I really don't think that the study is accurate or for that matter, from official experts. Many traffic safety surveys as well as studies have already emphasized the dangers of texting or talking while driving. According to the NHTSA, in 2008, the practice of texting or talking while driving is estimated to have caused 22 percent of all motor vehicle crashes, which would account to about 1.3 million auto accidents.

To further highlight the dangers of texting/talking while driving: http://www.lawfirms.com/feed-i...

Xiuli Lin

http://tinyurl.com/25dnfq5

Brandon Silverman

yeah, that's a pretty loose correlation. people don't pay as much attention to the road when they're conversing with someone on the phone - regardless of if it's to your ear or hands free.

Paul S

When I ride my bike I'd say 75% of the time when someone almost hits me and it really was accidental (they seem to be surprised that I was there instead of showing anger or vindictiveness) it is someone who is driving while texting or talking on a cell phone.

I don't believe this one bit. On paper things are very easy to manipulate and make exceptions that often turn a lie into the truth.