Cellular Phones and Highway Safety
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Cellular Phones and Highway Safety Mary Cathrvine James Researcher Report No. 9, 1992 I,egiilatite Krfermw Burczau State Capitol Ifonoluin. Hawaii FOREWORD This report on ceiiular phone use and vehicie control is submitted in response to House Resolution No. 377, H.D. 1, adopted during the 1992 Regular Session. The Bureau acknowledges and extends its appreciation to those individuais who responded to our inquiries in seeking what documentation there currently exists in this emerging area of telecommunications. Samuel €5. K. Chang Director November 1992 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 1. INTRODUCTION Organization of the Report .............................................................................. 1 2. THE CELLULAR PHONE INDUSTRY ...................................................... 2 3. REVIEW OF STUDIES ON DRIVER ATTENTION ................................................... 10 California Highway Patro Aim and Nilsson; Octobe McKnight; January 1991 Brooknuis; February 1991 Nilsson and F?lm; March Mikkonen and Backman; 1 Endnotes .............................................................................................. 16 4. MINIMIZING THE RISK ..................................................................................... 18 Introduction ............................................................................................... 18 Hawaii's Legislative Response 18 Legislative Response in Other 19 Educational Programs and Information 20 Relation to Other Communication Equipment ........................................ 22 Endnotes ....................................................................................... 23 5. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 24 iii @ EXHIBITS History of Cellular Prom Growth .............................................................................5 Growth in Number Cellular Te!ephone Sbbscribers ....................... ....................... 6 Growth in Number Cellular Telephone industry Employees ....................................... 7 Decrease in Average Monthly Cellular Bills .............................. ........................ 8 APPENDICES House Resolution No. 377, H.D. 1, Sixteenth Legislature, 1992 Regular Session, State of Hawaii ................................................................................................. 27 Testimony on H.R. No. 377, H.D. 1, 1992, Relating to Highway Safety ...................... 29 Maryland Bill introduced by De!egate Kolodziejski ............................................... 36 California Highway Patrol Safety Tips ................... 38 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION During the 1992 Legislative Session the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution No. 377, H.D. 1, entitled "House Resolution Relating to Highway Safety," (See Appendix A) which requested the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a study on the effect of cellular phone use upon vehicle control and driver attention in Hawaii. Organization of the Report The report is organized into five chapters. Chapter 2 reviews the growth of the cellular industry and the increase in the use of cellular phones since their introduction. Chapter 3 reviews the various studies which have been conducted on the effect of cellular phone use upon vehicle control and driver attention. Chapter 4 reviews methods to minimize the risk of using celiular phones while driving including legislative proposals both in Hawaii and states in which laws relating to cellular phone use while driving have been enacted or proposed. It also discusses steps which have been taken, especially by cellular phone manufacturers and suppliers. in an effort to minimize the risk of using a cellular phone while driving. Chapter 5 presents suggestions for further information and measures which could lower the risk of driving while using a cellular phone. No distinction is made in this report between cellular phones which are carried with a person and cellular phones which are mounted in a car except as far as placement in the car affects safety. They are both mobile and both cellular. 'lone of the studies differentiated between the two. The phrase "cellular phone" is used throughout this report except that in discussing each study the phrase used by the authors of the study was used. Chapter 2 CELLULAR PHONE INDUSTRY Introduction Since their introduction in Chicago in October of 1983' cellular phones have rapidly become an important business tool and are currently becoming more common for personal use. Initially, cellular phones were used strictly as a business tool, mostly by real estate agents, contractors, sales people, and business executive^.^ Today, however, they are much more commonly used for a variety of reasons with the growing realization that they can make life safer, less stressful, and more productive.3 In areas where long commutes are common, a cellular phone allows this time to be used tor business or other needs, not only increasing efficiency in the use of time but lowering stress by allowing the driver to focus on something other than the traffic jam. Public demand and the resultant growth of the industry have brought about technological advances. They have also focused attention on safety issues. New Technology Because early cellular phones were costly and had few options, they were limited to specific business use. Each year since their introduction there has been an improvement in cellular technology and a lowering of the price of the system. Today, they are used not only to carry on business while commuting or travelling to appointments but also to report emergency conditions on the roads and to make personal phone calls. Cellular phones can now be installed at a more reasonable cost and have many options available such as hands free options, memory dialing, and voice activated systems. A built-in answering machine is also available as are portable facsimile and copying machines that plug directly into cellular hones.^ The Growth of the Cellular Industry The growth of the cellular industry has frequently exceeded estimates. A 1985 article reported that AT&T estimated there were 100,000 cellular phones in use in 1985 and projected that one million would be in use by 1990.5 An article published in the MarchiApril 1991 issue of Traffic Safety estimated that there were 2.1 million subscribers (i.e., cellular phone users) in 1989 and that the number would be just over five million by beginning of 1991.6 Further, according to the Cellular Telecommunications lndustry Association, which represents 95 percent of national cellular subscribers, there were already 3.5 million subscribers by the end of 1989, 5.3 million subscribers by the end of 1990; and the industry has continiied its rapid grovdth adding 1.3 miilicr: new users during the first half of 7992# THE CELLULAR PHONE INDUSTRY bringing the total number of national subscribers to 8.9 million.7 This was the largest increase ever in subscribers in a sixth month period and equated to a nearly 40 percent annual growth rate. This growth rate also created about 4250 new jobs.* (See Exhibits 1, 2, and 3) It has been estimated that by 1998 there wiii be over 30 miliion subscribers9 and estimates by Herschel Shosteck Associates, international telecommunications economists and market research analysts specializing in the study of the cellular telephone industry, predict that there will be 16.4 million to 19.8 million cellular phones in use by 1995; 29 million to 37 million by the turn of the century; and 41.5 million to 54.5 million by 2005.l0 During this dramatic rise in the number of subscribers, the cost to subscribers has continuously gone down. In the beginning of 1983 the cost of a cellular telephone was $2,628. By the end of 1989 the price was only $515. Taking into account the cost of cellular service and the effect of inflation the true monthly costs for a subscriber fell from $229 to $1 10 from 1983 to 1989.11 (See also Exhibit 4) The rise in popularity coupled with the lowering of costs means that a greater percentage of drivers on the road have cellular phone capability whether built into the car or not. This in turn means that more people are using cellular phones while driving and, if there is a negative safety factor, it is increasing. Safety Issues With this rapid growth of the industry, questions have been raised about the safety of using cellular phones while driving and measures that can be taken to make their use safer. One author pointed out that even though strides are being made to alert the public of the possible dangers, they are not keeping pace with the growth of the field the and need for early action." While few studies exist on the possible dangers involved with driving while using a cellular phone,l3 anecdotal evidence abounds. Many, including state legislators, have witnessed examples of dangerous driving related to cellular phone use.14 ,l5 Subsequent chapters of this study discuss possible driving hazards associated with talking on a cellular phone or dialing a number while driving. On the other side of the dangers which might be compounded by the use of cellular phones while driving are the many positive safety factors which have arisen with the increased availability of these phones. Not only are cellular phones a direct aid to the driver who might get into trouble on the road, by providing easy access to emergency help, but cellular phone users frequently report emergency road conditions, and police departments are beginning to involve them in reporting suspected drunk drivers. As of July 1991, eighteen states had