CALLING AND DRIVING DON'T MIX:
Safety Measures in the Works to Counter Portable Phone-Related Accidents

SEPTEMBER 25, 1996

Phone-Related Accidents Reach 129 in June
Along with the explosive increase in cellular phone use, traffic accidents associated with their use have also risen sharply. According to a National Police Agency survey, June this year saw 128 accidents causing injury, and 1 accident resulting in death, where the driver was operating a portable phone at the time. Of the 129 accidents, 123 involved more than one car, and 98 (80%) of these car-car crashes were rear-endings.

Examining how drivers were using the phones at the time of the accidents, the NPA found that 54 crashes (42%) occured while answering the phone, 40 (31%) while placing a call, 21 (16%) during a phone conversation, and 7 (5%) while hanging up. The distraction of a ringing telephone is seen as a reason why accidents in the first category outnumber those in the second.

Indeed, police accident reports show a large number of drivers who said, "My phone rang and I took my eyes off the road." Other common explanations included "I was looking at the phone to dial a number/answer a call" and "I was paying attention to my conversation"; all of these situations saw the drivers ignoring traffic conditions ahead of their vehicles.

Teaching "Driver Self Control"
In response to the sudden jump in these accidents, the NPA promptly revised teaching materials used in driver training, adding such instructions as "do not use a cellular telephone while you drive" and "turn off your phone's power when driving." The agency hopes in this way to emphasize the importance of phone-related traffic safety when people acquire their driver's licenses.

An increasing number of countries are placing legal restrictions on the use of portable telephones while driving: Switzerland, for example, has outlawed the use of all but hands-free telephones by the driver of a car. The NPA plans to experimentally measure the attention levels and braking-response times of drivers using phones and consider the necessity for legal measures on the basis of this scientific data.

Phone Makers Working on Safety Systems
Makers of cellular telephones are working to educate the public, spreading the safety message through newspaper ads that warn: "Stop your car in a safe place before you use your phone!" The companies are also including fliers with cellular phone billing statements that ask the customer to "refrain from using phones while driving."

Phone producers are also putting their research departments to work on new accident-prevention and safety features to be built into future products. Systems under consideration include headphone units with controls located on the steering wheel and phones the driver can switch to an automatic answering mode with the touch of a button, that will record all messages during the drive.