DAYTON — Cell phone use during motor vehicle crashes occurs far more frequently than official police records indicate, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Researchers analyzed data from more than 15,000 two-vehicle crashes by comparing police reports with records from drivers’ safe driving applications.
While police crash reports documented phone use in only 17 cases, app data revealed that nearly 600 drivers were actively using their phones within 30 seconds of impact.
Aimee Cox, a research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, explained that drivers rarely admit to phone use following collisions, making accurate reporting difficult for law enforcement.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Man indicted on 20 counts following discovery of ex-girlfriend’s remains
- Suspect in Darke Co. murder case has hearing rescheduled following mix-up at court
- Suspect in custody in deadly shooting of 65-year-old man
“Cell phone use prior to a crash is underreported at police crash reports. That’s just not information that drivers are necessarily willing and very forthcoming with,” Cox said. “It’s not only showing us that drivers aren’t forthcoming with that information, but it’s also just very difficult for officers who are responding to the field to prove at this point.”
In Ohio, where a distracted driving law went into effect in 2023, law enforcement agencies have made cell phone enforcement a priority.
Ohio State Highway Patrol data shows troopers issued nearly 29,000 citations for distracted driving at this time last year. So far this year, troopers have issued more than 36,000 citations.
The study also identified passive cell phone use during crashes, such as having an unlocked screen to view GPS navigation without touching the device, as a common occurrence.
Taking eyes off the road for five seconds at speed covers the length of a football field.
Cox noted the severe risks associated with taking physical or visual focus off driving.
“We know that the hand and eye distractions, so tasks that take the driver’s eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel, are very risky,” Cox said, adding that “two seconds is really all it takes.”
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
