Blame the Driver, Not the Cellphone

Using a cell phone while operating an automobile has been linked to aggresssive driving, and most states have enacted laws—such as hands-free only and a ban on texting—that limit or prohibit it. But a new study from MIT’s New England University Transportation Center (UTC) argues that the relationship between cellphone usage and erratic driving is more complicated. Many drivers who frequently talk behind the wheel tend to drive hostile even when they're not on the phone.

Bryan Reimer, UTC associate director, told The Boston Globe:

"The people who are more willing to frequently engage in cellphone use are higher-risk drivers, independent of the phone. It’s not just a subtle difference with those willing to pick up the phone. This is a big difference."

The UTC group analyzed 108 Boston-area drivers in three age brackets (20s, 40s, and 60s). Before the test drive, each participant answered questions about cell phone use while driving, plus their driving habits and citation history, and were split in two categories: "frequent user" and "rare user."

The 40-minute test drive was conducted in a souped-up Volvo SUV  that contained an eye tracker, heart and skin monitors, on-board sensors, and outward-facing video cameras on the front and back of the car. Phone calls were not allowed during the ride, which was held on a section of Interstate 93 just north of Boston.

According to the study, frequent users—even when not on their cellphone—drove almost three miles per hour faster, switched lanes twice as often, spent more time in the far-left lane, and were prone to brake-slamming.

The UTC research indicates that frequent users are naturally aggressive drivers, with or without a cellphone. The study also recommends that less focus be paid to laws that ban cellphone use, and more focus put on training that discourages cellphone use and other bad habits.

The study, "Self-Reported and Observed Risky Driving Behaviors among Frequent and Infrequent Cell Phone Users," appears in an August 2012 issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention.

Who’s to blame in erratic driving—man or machine? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.