Cell Phone Distraction and Car Crashes: The Unseen Public Health Threat
Cellphones have become a ubiquitous part of modern life, and with their ever-increasing capabilities, they have the potential to track and record a staggering amount of personal data. But one area where they have not been effectively utilized is in tracking one of the most significant public health threats on our roadways: crashes caused by drivers distracted by their phones.
Despite federal and state governments recognizing the dangers of cellphone use while driving and enacting laws to address it, there is no definitive database of the number of crashes or fatalities caused by cellphone distraction. This lack of clear data has allowed the problem to worsen, with car crashes on the rise.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes recorded by the police rose by 16 percent from 2020 to 2021, reaching 16,700 a day. Additionally, nearly 43,000 Americans died in crashes in 2021, marking a 16-year high. Shockingly, only 377 fatal wrecks in 2021 were reported as involving a cellphone-distracted driver, and around 8 percent of the 2.5 million nonfatal crashes that year involved a cellphone.
However, these figures are likely underestimations, as they only include crashes in which a police report specifically mentions cellphone distraction. Safety experts assert that cellphone use often goes unmentioned in reports, largely because it relies on the driver to admit distraction or a witness to identify it.
Furthermore, the process of accessing cellphone records and linking a driver’s phone activity with the timing of a crash is cumbersome due to privacy laws that require a subpoena and the high cost of analysis. This has led to a significant underreporting of distraction-related crashes.
It’s clear that the current data are effectively unscientific and inaccurate, leaving experts frustrated by the lack of access to better information, especially in light of the alarming increase in traffic fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has acknowledged the underreporting of distraction-related crashes and stated that they are actively engaged in studies to improve measurement of distraction on the roadway.
In a nationally representative survey in 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that about 20 percent of drivers admitted to regularly engaging in distracting activities while behind the wheel.
The lack of accurate data on cellphone distraction and its impact on crashes is a cause for concern, and it is imperative that further research and measures are taken to combat this public health threat and ensure the safety of all individuals on the road.