Most Drivers With Cell Phones Use Them While Driving Even Though They Know It Is Unsafe; More Than One In Five Text While Driving

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NEW YORK July 20, 2011

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Several studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones while driving are much more likely to be involved with accidents, and it is believed that texting is even more dangerous. Recent research has shown that both hand held and hands-free cell phones are almost equally dangerous because they are equally likely to distract drivers. However, more than three quarters (77%) of the public believe that hands-free phones are safer.

The Harris Poll between June 13 and 20, 2011 Harris Interactive

Other interesting findings of this survey include:

There are big generational differences. The younger age groups, Echo Boomers, aged 18-34 (72%) and Gen Xers, aged 35-46 (69%) are more likely to use cell phones while driving than Baby Boomers, aged 47-65 (59%), and much more likely than drivers over 65 (32%) to do so;
The Lake Wobegon effect ("where all the children are above average") is alive and well. Most (57%) drivers rate themselves as better than average drivers. Only 1% rate themselves as worse than average. Men (66%) are much more likely than women (48%) to think that they are better than average drivers;
Texting while driving is also much more common among younger drivers. Fully 49% of drivers with cell phones under 35 send or read text messages while driving compared to only 24% of Gen X, 11% of Baby Boomers and less than 1% of people over 65;
Most (60%) drivers who use cell phones while driving use hand-held phones. This number has declined from 72% in 2006 and 66% in 2009;
The large majority who know that it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving has increased from 82% in 2006 to 91% now; and,
The percentage of the public who live in states that require (or, which they believe, require) the use of hands-free phones has increased from 14% in 2006 to 38% now.

So What?

The implications of these findings point to several important conclusions:

Most drivers with cell phones are behaving in ways (talking on cell phones and/or reading or sending texts) that greatly increase the likelihood that they will be involved in accidents, and injure themselves and others. Furthermore, many of them believe, probably wrongly, that if they use hands-free phones they are safer. The problem may be made worse by the fact that most drivers think they are better than average drivers and, perhaps, that their driving skills can keep them out of trouble.

These findings strongly suggest the need for laws to ban all cell phone use and texting while driving, including the use of hands-free phones, except perhaps in emergencies.

TABLE 1A FREQUENCY OF TALKING ON CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING – TREND SINCE 2006 "How often do you talk on a cell phone while you are driving?" Base: Adults who drive and have a cell phone
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
	%	%	%
Talk on Cell Phone While Driving (NET)	73	72	60
All the time	6	10	5
Sometimes	67	62	55
Never	27	28	40
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 1B FREQUENCY OF TALKING ON CELL PHONE W HILE DRIVING- BY AGE AND ABILITY "How often do you talk on a cell phone while you are driving?" Base: Adults who drive and have a cell phone
	Total	Generation				Type of driver
	Total	Echo Boomers (18-34)	Gen. X (35-46)	Baby Boomers (47-65)	Matures (66+)	Better than average	Average	Worse than average
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Talk on Cell Phone While Driving (NET)	60	72	69	59	32	62	59	38
All the time	5	11	6	3	*	7	3	4
Sometimes	55	61	64	56	31	55	56	34
Never	40	28	31	41	68	38	41	62
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding; * signifies less than .05%

TABLE 2 FREQUENCY OF SENDING OR RECEIVING TEXT MESSA GES ON CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING How often do you send or read texts on a cell phone while you are driving?" Base: Those who drive and have a cell phone
	May 2009	June 2011	Generation				Type of driver
	May 2009	June 2011	Echo Boomers (18-34)	Gen. X (35-46)	Baby Boomers (47-65)	Matures (66+)	Better than average	Average	Worse than average
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
All the time	5	2	7	1	*	–	2	2	4
Sometimes	22	20	42	23	11	*	20	19	20
Never	74	78	51	76	89	100	78	79	76
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding; * signifies less than .05%

TABLE 3 HOLD CELL PHONE OR USE HANDS-FREE DEVICE WHILE DRIVING – TREND "When you use the cell phone while you are driving, do you typically hold the phone in your hand or do you use a hands-free device?" Base: Adults who ever talk on a cell phone while driving
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
	%	%	%
Hold phone	72	66	60
Hands-free device	28	34	40
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 4 FREQUENCY OF BEING PASSENGER WHILE DRIVER IS TALKING ON CELL PHONE – TREND "How often are you a passenger in a car while the driver is talking on a cell phone?" Base: All adults
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
	%	%	%
Often

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