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Cell Phones are Tip of the Iceberg of Driving Distractions Survey Finds

31 October 2000

Cell Phones are Tip of the Iceberg of Driving Distractions National Survey Finds
    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Oct. 31 Cell phone use while driving
is the tip of the iceberg of accident-causing driving distractions, according
to a survey by Response Insurance, a national auto insurer.
    A national survey of more than one thousand drivers was released as many
local governments are seeking to restrict cell phone use an the road.
Response Insurance is the company that sponsored the survey that launched the
national debate on driving distractions.  Additional survey results can be
found at http://www.response.com.
    Thirteen percent of drivers who talk on cell phones behind the wheel say
it had caused or nearly caused them to get into an accident.  Overall, cell
phone usage was reported by 29% of all drivers in the Response Insurance
National Driving Habits Survey.
    But the survey also found that 76% of drivers engaged in one or more
distracting activity while driving.  In many cases those distractions resulted
in accidents or near-accidents at an even higher rate.
    "The real problem is in the drivers who seem to think they're sitting in
their living rooms, rather than behind the wheel.  They're eating, talking on
the phone, listening to the radio, reading and combing their hair --
everything except paying attention to the road," said Mory Katz, Chairman of
Response Insurance.
    Newly released survey results also drew a clearer picture of the typical
cell phone-driver:

    *  Men edged out women on the phone, 31% to 28%
    *  Baby-boomers 35-44 years old ranked highest at 40%, as compared to
       drivers 65+ at just 10%
    *  Drivers from western states call/drive more than those in the
       northeast, 33% to 26%
    *  Drivers earning more than $50K a year call and drive more than those in
       the $15-25K range, 46% to 15%
    *  Parents do it more than those without children, 38% to 24%

    "Distractions come in many forms and talking on a cell phone is just one
of the activities that can result in inattentive driving," Mr. Katz stated.
Alarmingly, the survey revealed that 20% are so busy multi-tasking behind the
wheel that they have steered their car with their thighs.