Rethinking Cell Phone Use While Driving: Isolated Risk Behavior or a Pattern of Risk-Taking Associated with Impulsivity in Young Drivers?

Abstract

This study examines whether cell phone use stands apart from a general pattern of risky driving practices associated with crashes and impulsivity-related personality traits in young drivers. A retrospective online survey study recruited 384 young drivers from across the United States using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to complete a survey measuring risky driving practices (including cell phone use), history of crashes, and impulsivity-related personality traits. Almost half (44.5%) of the drivers reported being involved in at least one crash, and the majority engaged in cell phone use while driving (up to 73%). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling found that cell phone use loaded highly on a latent factor with other risky driving practices that were associated with prior crashes (b = 0.15, [95% CI: 0.01, 0.29]). There was also an indirect relationship between one form of impulsivity and crashes through risky driving (b = 0.127, [95% CI: 0.01, 0.30]). Additional analyses did not find an independent contribution to crashes for frequent cell phone use. These results suggest a pattern of risky driving practices associated with impulsivity in young drivers, indicating the benefit of exploring a more comprehensive safe driving strategy that includes the avoidance of cell phone use as well as other risky practices, particularly for young drivers with greater impulsive tendencies.

Self-harm in adolescence and risk of crash: a 13-year cohort study of novice drivers in New South Wales, Australia

“…For example, self-harm is associated with impulsivity, and impulsivity is associated with increased risk of motor vehicle crashes among young drivers. [19][20][21] Self-harm is also associated with other risk taking behaviours such as alcohol and drug use, which are risk factors for motor vehicle crashes. [22][23][24] Further, there is a strong relationship between self-harm and mental ill health, which are also independently associated with motor vehicle crashes.…”

“…We used data from the DRIVE study, which involved a 2003/2004 survey of 20 806 newly licensed young drivers from New South Wales (NSW) that linked to individual level crash data. NSW is the most populous state in Australia with 7.5 million residents (1.7 million (23%) aged [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] at the 2016 census. 34 In 2018, five million people in NSW held a driver's licence for a car and there were 4.28 million registered passenger vehicles.…”

“…Self-harm could also indirectly predict vehicle crashes because of its overlap with other risk factors that predict crashes. For example, self-harm is associated with impulsivity, and impulsivity is associated with increased risk of motor vehicle crashes among young drivers 19–21. Self-harm is also associated with other risk taking behaviours such as alcohol and drug use, which are risk factors for motor vehicle crashes 22–24.…”