Evaluation of a Distracted Driving

Demonstration ProjectTara Casanova-Powell

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

TALKING TO A PASSENGER

TEXTING

TALKING ON HANDS FREE

CELL

TALKING ON HAND-HELD

CELL

GLANCING AT GPS

LESS

DISTRACTING

MORE DISTRACTING

Distracted Driving: What is it?

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

-

50,000,000

100,000,000

150,000,000

200,000,000

250,000,000

300,000,000 N

Am

eri

can

s w

/ C

ell P

ho

nes

About 1 Million had

cell phones in 1987

About 50 Million had

cell phones in 1997

In 2009 about 285

Million had cell

phones

or about 91% of all Americans

Distracted Driving: A Growing Problem

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Social Acceptability

Until this year, cell phone use and texting

while driving were likely acceptable

practices.

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Design

• Locations CT:• Intervention: Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford

• Comparison: Stamford, Bridgeport

• 15 observation sites per location

• Locations NY:• Intervention: Syracuse (city proper)

• Comparison: Albany (city proper)

• Observation Site Selection• High traffic volume

• Geographically disperse

• DMV Sites• CT : New Britain & Wethersfield (intervention) Norwalk &

Bridgeport (comparison)

• NY: Syracuse & North Syracuse (intervention), Albany(comparison)

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Earned Media-Press Conference

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Paid Media

Enforcement Activity

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Enforcement Hours and Citations Issued

Wave 1 Wave 2

Hartford Syracuse Hartford Syracuse

Dedicated

Hours1,345 1,370 1,856 1,337

Hand-Held

Phone Use 2,329 2,185 2,327 1,977

Text/E-mail/

Distraction 279 115 21 169

Citations/10K

Population107 167 100 156

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Evaluation: Observations

• Locations around Hartford, CT (Hartford, East Hartford,

West Hartford) and Fairfield County (Stamford,

Bridgeport—comparison).

• Locations around Syracuse, NY (Albany-comparison)

• 15 observation sites per location. Sites selected based

on:

• High traffic volume

• Geographic dispersity

• 1 hour at traffic lighted intersections of the green light

traffic

• Observed hand held use, blue tooth use, and

manipulating devices.

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Observed Hand-Held Phone Use in Connecticut

6.8

4.34.6

3.1

6.6

5.95.6

5.3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Wave 1 Wave 2

% H

old

ing

Ph

on

e t

o E

ar

Hartford Bridgeport/Stamford

Pre Post Pre Post

N=19300 N=19370 N=18962 N=19444

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Observed Hand-Held Phone Use in New York

3.7

3.2 3.2

2.3

5

3.9

4.5

3.9

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Wave 1 Wave 2

% H

old

ing

Ph

on

e t

o E

ar

Syracuse Albany

Pre Post Pre Post

N=10503 N=11120 N=11051 N=11418

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Evaluation: Awareness Surveys

CT-New Britain, Wethersfield (Hartford Area)

Norwalk, Bridgeport (comparison)

NY-Syracuse, N. Syracuse

Albany (comparison)

1 page survey

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

In the Past Month, Have You Seen or Heard About Distracted

Driving in [Connecticut/New York]?

59% 56%

64%

52%

76%

62%

78%

23%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Hartford Control Syracuse Control

% R

esp

on

din

g Y

es

Connecticut New York

Pre Wave 1 Post Wave 2

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Awareness of “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the

Other” Slogan in Connecticut and New York

5% 5% 5% 4%

47%

10%

21%

5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Hartford Control Syracuse Control

% R

ep

ort

ing

Reco

gn

itio

n

Connecticut New York

Pre Wave 1 Post Wave 2

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

What do you think the chances of getting a ticket if you

use a hand-held cellular phone while driving?

15%

22% 22%

17%

22%20%

26%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Hartford Control Syracuse Control

% A

lways o

r N

earl

y A

lways

Connecticut New York

Pre Wave 1 Post Wave 2

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Strictness of Enforcement Hand-Held Phone Law

39%37%

42%

48%

40%38%

55%

42%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Hartford Control Syracuse Control

% S

tric

t o

r V

ery

Str

ict

Connecticut New York

Pre Wave 1 Post Wave 2

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

In the past month, have you seen or heard about police

enforcement focused on hand-held cellular phone use?

31% 32%

41%34%

57%

39%

78%

41%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Hartford Control Syracuse Control

% R

esp

on

din

g Y

es

Connecticut New York

Pre Wave 1 Post Wave 2

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Conclusions

• Cell phone ticketing was great.

• Observation data show a decrease in use.

• Awareness data-remarkably high

6 in 10 heard something about distracted driving.

Although motorists believe dangerous, still do it.

• There was an increase in:

message recognition

perceived strictness of enforcement

those who got a ticket

those who heard of enforcement

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Questions?

Lifesavers 2011 March 27th-29th Phoenix, AZ

Contact Information

Tara Casanova-Powell

Preusser Research Group

7100 Main St. Trumbull, CT 06611

203-459-8700 ext. 109

tcasanova@preussergroup.com

Funded by: US Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

COTR: Ian Reagan