New research conducted by Carnegie University and the London School of Economics has found no link between the number of drivers making mobile phone calls and the number of road accidents.
The combined research assessed more than 8 million reported accidents and fatalities on roads in eight states across the US. They analysed data before and after 9pm local time over a three-year period.
However, researchers were quick to assert that the research does not take into consideration texting and web browsing, focusing solely on phone calls.
It’s understood that the timeslot of 9pm was selected for the period studied (2002-2005) as many mobile phone operators throughout the American nation supplied free calls after 9pm on weekdays.
The researcher representing the London School of Economics, Dr Vikram Pathania, and his Carnegie counterpart, Professor Saurabh Bhargava, did highlight that whilst there was an increase in volume in the number of calls made to multiple phone masts, there was no corresponding increase in the number of road traffic accidents.
The researchers, Dr Pathania in particular, expressed their surprise at the results. In a statement from Pathania, he said:
“Our immediate response to the results was ‘they must be wrong’. We double checked everything, but couldn’t find any anomalies.â€
He added: “We witnessed a substantial increase in the volume of calls made however; these calls had little impact on the crash rate.â€
Research Omissions
Pathania did stress that the results, which have been published in the American Economic Journal, did not include the use of mobile phones in motor vehicles used for web browsing purposes or texting.
He said: “We only assessed voice related mobile phone use, not texting or internet use. It could be that traffic levels on the road after 9pm were moderate and the use of mobile phones did not pose a hazard.â€
He added: “The outlook may have been very different if our research honed in on young male drivers or new drivers in general.â€
UK comparisons
Mobile phone usage for drivers, except in cases requiring a call to emergency services, was banned in the UK in 2003.
The Highway Code states that hands-free systems are legal however; police still have powers to impose a £60 fine if they deem a driver to be distracted by using a hands-free kit.
The death toll on Britain’s roads was said to have increased dramatically as a result of careless drivers using mobile phones according to research carried out prior to 2003.
However, despite the implementation of new rules many drivers, mainly aged 18-30, continue to flout the laws resulting in continued road accidents as a result of mobile phone usage whilst driving.
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