Mobile Phone Use: A Growing Problem for Driver Distraction

Driver distraction is an important risk factor for road traffic injuries. There are different types of driver distraction, usually divided into those where the source of distraction is internal to the vehicle – such as tuning a radio, or using a mobile phone – and those external to the vehicle, such as looking at billboards or watching people on the side of the road.

This document focuses on the use of mobile phones while driving, in response to concern among policy-makers that this potential risk to road safety is increasing rapidly as a result of the exponential growth in the use of mobile phones more generally in society. It aims to raise awareness about the risks of distracted driving associated with mobile phone use, and to present counter measures that are being used around the world to tackle this growing problem.

Studies from a number of countries suggest that the proportion of drivers using mobile phones while driving has increased over the past 5–10 years, ranging from 1% to up to 11%. The use of hands-free mobile phones is likely to be higher, but this figure is more difficult to ascertain. In many countries the extent of this problem remains unknown, as data on mobile phone use is not routinely collected when a crash occurs.

Using mobile phones can cause drivers to take their eyes off the road, their hands off the steering wheel, and their minds off the road and the surrounding situation. It is this type of distraction – known as cognitive distraction – which appears to have the biggest impact on driving behaviour.