Factors Contributing to Self-Reported Cell Phone Usage by Younger Drivers in the Pacific Northwest

Using a cell phone while driving has been shown to have a negative impact on driver performance. To determine why younger drivers persist in using cell phones while driving, underlying causal factors which contribute to selfreported usage were investigated. A total of 2,340 drivers, from high schools and universities located in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington responded to a survey instrument. Drivers were asked to self-report their frequency of distraction and their opinion about what activities are driving distractions. The objective was to determine what factors impact the driver choice to interact with a cell phone (talking or texting) while driving. A random parameter ordered-probit model was developed to predict the likelihood that a driver self-reported cell phone activity while driving as “infrequent”, “moderate”, or “frequent”. It was found that the behaviors of texting and talking while driving were highly correlated. The developed models suggest that presence of friends in the car, parents frequently exhibiting distracted driving, more miles of driving, history of speeding tickets, crash history, having a full driver’s license, owning an iPhone, and being female increases the likelihood of self-reported distracted driving. It was found that experienced drivers were more likely to talk and less likely to text while driving.