Iihs Study Reveals Drivers Are Significantly More Likely To Use Their Phones While Speeding, Especially On Freeways

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 Drivers of vehicles are distracted while driving including talking connected phone, eating, drinking and applying makeup, January 13, 2011 successful Long Beach, California. (Photo by Bob Riha Jr./Getty Images)

Bob Riha Jr/Getty Images

You tin beryllium nan astir responsible driver connected nan roadworthy who ne'er looks astatine their phone, ever checks their mirrors, obeys nan velocity limit, and avoids unsafe maneuvers, but that doesn't alteration nan truth that you stock nan roadworthy pinch everyone else. Unfortunately galore of nan drivers you stock nan roadworthy pinch are not committed to information aliases moreover pursuing nan rules of nan road. So it's disturbing to cognize that according to a caller IIHS study, drivers are more likely to usage their phones while speeding, particularly connected freeways.

IIHS reached these conclusions by analyzing information collected by car security companies' safe-driving apps. These apps committedness costs savings for drivers who enroll and let nan apps to transmit their driving information to nan insurer, who past adjusts nan driver's security premiums based connected really they drive. Analysts recovered that, "On limited-access roads, nan stock of driving clip spent handling a telephone roseate by 12% for each 5 mph drivers went complete nan section velocity limit." Yikes.

This changes information experts' knowing of driver behaviors

A man writes a matter connection connected his mobile telephone whilst driving successful postulation connected June 24, 2003 successful London, England. The authorities has announced plans for a prohibition connected talking connected hand-held mobile phones while driving; this will spell into effect by nan extremity of nan year.

Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

According to IIHS president David Harkey, "Until now, information experts believed drivers utilized their cellphones astir astatine slower speeds, but information from security companies' safe-driving apps show that, successful free-flowing traffic, nan other is true."

Alarmingly, nan narration betwixt phone usage and speeding is simply a bigger problem connected roadways pinch higher velocity limits. On limited-access roads pinch 70 mph limits, for example, for each 5 mph a conveyance exceeded nan limit location was a 9% larger summation successful telephone handling than connected akin roads pinch 55 mph limits. The information shows nan speeding and telephone usage inclination is importantly little of a interest connected arterial roads, wherever each 5 mph complete nan velocity limit was linked to only a 3% summation successful telephone usage.

IIHS researchers judge respective factors could thrust nan shape including outer stressors since telephone usage spikes during unreserved hr and schoolhouse drop-off, and nan truth that nan benignant of personification who speeds is apt to return much risks, and frankincense is much apt to usage their phone. IIHS besides acknowledges nan specifications required for this study, which intends nan information exclusively includes trips that lasted astatine slightest 18 minutes pinch astatine slightest 2 minutes connected an interstate highway. Read much astir it connected nan IIHS website.

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