Report: Drivers use cell phones despite danger

Despite the known dangers of posting driving selfies, texting and talking, the use of cell phones while behind the wheel is still on the rise.

In a recent study conducted by the California Office of Traffic Safety, distracted driving has significantly increased. With the increase in cell phone use, collisions and citations issued have also risen.

Throughout April, National Distracted Driving Awareness month, officers focused on drivers using their mobile devices. More than 200 citations were issued by Visalia California Highway Patrol.

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From January to May, the CHP has issued 336 citations related to talking, texting or surfing the mobile web.

“This issue is paramount,” said officer Chris Webber. “There were 650 cell phone related fatalities in the state last year.”

Using hands-free devices like Bluetooth are highly recommended by CHP officers. However, if a call can wait, drivers should silence their phones, said Webber.

The OTS study showed that at least 12.8 percent of California drivers were seen using a cell phone during the day, which is up from 9.2 percent in 2015 and tops the previous high of 10.8 percent in 2013. Officials believe the number is higher due to the difficulty of observing cell phone usage in a car.

“These latest numbers are discouraging, but not totally unexpected,” OTS Director Rhonda Craft said. “The number of smartphones in the United States has gone from zero, 10 years ago, to over 200 million today.”

Data from the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System shows that in 2013 more than 22,306 people were involved in collisions in which distracted driving was a factor. The number of distracted driving victims in California increased slightly in 2014, to 22,652.

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“Distraction occurs any time drivers take their eyes off the road, their hands off the wheel and their minds off their primary task of driving safely,” CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said. “Any non-driving activity is a potential distraction and increases the risk of collision.”

From 2013 to 2015, the number of drivers killed or injured in collisions in which distracted driving was a factor increased every year, from 10,162 in 2013, to 10,548 in 2014, and to 11,090 in 2015.

The rising death toll of distracted driving doesn’t seem to concern drivers. Studies showed that most drivers admitted to using cell phones “sometimes” or “regularly” and fewer drivers feel that talking or texting is a major safety problem.

“The study results are disturbing,” Farrow said. “Every time someone drives distracted, they are putting themselves, their passengers and everyone on or near the roadways at risk.”

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• Nearly all types of usage were up, typing and posting increased by more than one third

• The highest observed device use and the fastest increase in usage is in urban areas, at 9.4 percent.

• The percentage of people 16-24 years old talking on hand-held cell phones increased from less than one percent every year since 2012 to more than two percent in 2016.

Source: Office of Traffic Safety contributed to this report