Distracted driving behaviors related to cell phone use among middle-aged adults. Issue 3 (September 2015) - Engelberg, Jessa K.
Abstract Background Distracted driving (DD), particularly cell phone use (texting or speaking), is associated with 26% of all crashes and is increasing in frequency. The purpose of this study was to characterize behavior and predictors of DD in middle-aged adults. Methods An anonymous online (SurveyMonkey) 60-question survey on DD attitudes and behaviors, particularly cell phone use, was administered to adults who were recruited via fliers posted around public locations (e.g. recreation centers) and email blasts from businesses. Participants were San Diego residents between 30–64 years old, who drove a car at least once a week and owned a cell phone (n=715). A DD Scale (DDS) based on 15 questions was created. Factor analysis was conducted and a single parsimonious factor with good reliability was determined (Cronbach׳s alpha .879). Results The majority of participants were white (69%), female (75%) and/or made >$50, 000/year (68%). 65.1% reported texting while stopped at red lights. While driving on the freeway, 20.4% reported spending about 25% of the time on a cell phone. The DDS scores range from 0–54 (mean=12.92). DDS scores were analyzed as a continuous variable to determine if higher scores were associated with specific attitudes or beliefs. Significant predictors of higher scores on the DDS (p>.05) were: perceiving oneself as capable of talking on the phone while driving and/or texting while driving (i.e. overconfidence in driving abilities), and obligation to take work calls. Conclusions Work obligations and overconfidence in one׳s ability to drive while talking/texting are critical areas to intervene in and have large public health implications. Future studies should use the DDS among different populations to determine generalizability. There are numerous opportunities for education, policy and new technologies to expand on this research.