Search
Close this search box.

Research

Driver electronic device use in 2017

This publication contains results from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), a survey that provides probability-based observed data on driver electronic device use in the United States. The survey includes three types of driver electronic device use while driving: (1) holding phones to their ears; (2) speaking with visible headsets on; and, (3) visibly manipulating handheld devices. Results are based on a total of 415,953 passenger vehicles driven by people using handheld cell phones at a typical daylight moment in 2017. In 2016, 1,600 sites were observed and 1,615 sites were observed in 2017 for a period of 21 days and 12 days, respectively.

Results indicate that there was a 0.4% decrease of drivers holding cell phones to their ears while driving from 2016 to 2017. There was also a decrease in the amount of drivers speaking with visible headsets while driving, from 0.5% in 2016 to 0.4% in 2017.

Reference
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2019, January). Driver electronic device use in 2017 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 812 665). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Explore More DIAD Research & Technology Posts

Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mobile-based infotainment systems on driving performance. The study was comprised of two experiments, one...

Research

The purpose of this study was to determine if in-ground Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) embedded into pathways are an effective solution in attracting the attention...

Research

The objective of this research was to review current scientific evidence concerning the effectiveness of existing and emerging distracted driving countermeasures. A literature search was...

TIRF’s research & educational tools support the work of communities across Canada.

Your donations & our work enable them to spend less time looking for answers & more time developing & implementing road safety strategies.