Why people continue to Text and Drive

Written by Neha Mukherjee, ’22    
Edited by Ashley Nee, ‘22

Source: SmartSign.com

          While the rise of smartphone usage has allowed for  people to remain connected at all times, it has also led to an unfortunate increase in traffic accidents.  Distracted driving, which accounts for about 25% of all US traffic accidents, are largely due to texting while driving [1]. A recent study from the American Journal of Criminal Justice determined that the reasoning behind texting while driving could be  attributed to low self control.

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          The study was twofold, as it explored the connection between low self control and the perception of other driver’s texting habits on texting while driving [1]. Texting while driving is illegal in 47 US states, given that such behavior can prove fatal [1]. This led researchers to hypothesize that low self control would be positively associated with texting while driving.

          469 adults, with an average age of 24, participated in the study [1]. In an in-person questionnaire, subjects were asked on how many occasions they texted others while driving or used their phones while driving during the past 30 days. The frequency of drives during which subjects texted while driving or used their phones for some other reason were matched to a scoring value; for instance, if a subject were to text while driving or use their phone for some other activity for 1 to 5 drives in the past 30 days, that subject would be given a scoring value of 1 [1]. The average score was found to be 3.68, which showed that on average, texting and other cell phone activity occurred on 11-20 drives in the population of subjects [1].
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          Self control was also measured in the study. Subjects were asked to rank themselves based on how much they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements that assessed self control.  Higher agreement with statements conferred a higher ranking, which is an indicator of poor self control [1].

          Subjects were also asked to provide an estimate as to how many other drivers they believed engaged in texting while driving. [1]. The study found the average score to be 7.15, meaning that on average, people thought that between 7 and 8 out of every 10 drivers on the road were driving while texting [1].

​          ​Analysis of the questionnaire data revealed a statistically significant correlation between low levels of self control and high frequency of texting while driving, with a standard effect size of .19 [1]. There was also a positive association between the perception that a high percentage of other drivers engage in texting while driving and texting while driving [1]. While the study is a useful way to gain insight, it could be improved by introducing better control for bias in questionnaires. Given the relationship between self control and external perception on texting while driving, further research should be conducted to determine a way to minimize the effect of public perception on the prevalence of texting while driving.

[1] Meldrum C.R.,Boman J.H., Back S. Low Self- Control, Social Learning, and Texting while Driving. American Journal of Criminal Justice. 2018; Vol. 44, 191-210.

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