Cell-Phones, Distracted Driving, Bans, and Fatalities

Abstract

In this article the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the current scientific knowledge on the effects of cell-phone conversation on drivers' performance and safety outcomes. The authors construct a historic perspective in order to provide a well contextualized outline of the main approaches developed in this field, along with their associated findings, which should help the reader to comprehend both methods and results from the early beginning to nowadays. The text is structured so that the authors orderly address the most likely mechanisms through which cell-phones cause distraction, the association between cell-phones and road fatalities, and the effect of cell-phone bans on road safety.