Put the Phone Down Eyes on the Road

Experimental research has shown both hand-held and hands-free phones can impair driving performance and increase the risk of a crash by four times.

In the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), Dr Suzanne McEvoy and colleagues, from the Sydney-based George Institute for International Health, have published survey results of Australian use of mobile phones while driving.

Their survey of 1,347 licensed drivers aged 18-65 years across NSW and Western Australia found that despite legislation many drivers continue to use hand-held mobile phones.

"Men, younger drivers, and metropolitan residents were more likely to use a phone while driving, and to report a higher frequency of use," says Dr McEvoy.

Enforcement of hand-held phone restrictions was perceived to be low, and half of all drivers did not agree with extending the ban to include hands-free phones.

Among all drivers from NSW and WA in the surveyed age bracket, an estimated 0.9 per cent - about 46,000 drivers - have had a crash while using a mobile phone.

"Our findings highlight the potential dangers of mobile phone use while driving in relation to near misses and crashes," says Dr McEvoy.

"Increased enforcement and media campaigns to raise drivers' awareness about the risks of phone use while driving are needed."

Dr McEvoy suggests education should be targeted at learner and young drivers, as they are likely to use phones while driving. But she says a proposal to impose further restrictions on more experienced drivers would require increased public support to be effective.

"Investment to investigate, monitor and minimise the harm is required to maintain road safety and reduce consequent injury," Dr McEvoy said.

In a related editorial for the MJA, Associate Professor Michael Regan, from the Monash University Accident Research Centre, says measures such as those outlined by Dr McEvoy are important.

However, he says that while further research and data collection is needed to better understand mobile phone use as a contributing factor in crashes, there are many measures that could be implemented now to improve safety.

These include better ergonomic design of mobile phones and vehicle cockpits, improved driver training to manage and mitigate the effects of phone distraction, better licensing systems that test for the ability to recognise and effectively manage distractions, the development and implementation of company policies on mobile phone use while driving, and improvements to road infrastructure.

The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.

Both journal articles can be accessed in full at www.mja.com.au.