TY - JOUR
T1 - A Meta-Analytic Comparison of the Effects of Text Messaging to Substance-Induced Impairment on Driving Performance
AU - Pascual-Ferrá, Paola
AU - Liu, Yu
AU - Beatty, Michael J.
PY - 2012/7/1
Y1 - 2012/7/1
N2 - According to the National Safety Commission, 28% of auto accidents or 1.6 million accidents per year are attributable to cell phone use and texting while driving. In response to this problem, state and federal agencies, as well as coalitions of citizens such as Mothers Against Texting and Driving, are leading public campaigns to ban texting while driving. The evidence in support of such campaigns often compares texting while driving to other forms of impairment, such as drunk driving, but the evidence is often anecdotal or is selectively drawn from single studies. Such appeals do little to overcome drivers' overestimations of their abilities to "multi-task" while driving. Based on the assumption that scientific evidence regarding the comparative effects of text messaging while driving to other forms of impairment is required to establish credibility of campaigns, the authors conducted a planned contrast meta-analysis of the research in 3 domains. Results indicated large and comparable effects on poor driving performance for texting (r =.572) and alcohol use (r =.539), as well as marihuana use (r =.27), which, although moderate, was significantly less than either texting or alcohol.
AB - According to the National Safety Commission, 28% of auto accidents or 1.6 million accidents per year are attributable to cell phone use and texting while driving. In response to this problem, state and federal agencies, as well as coalitions of citizens such as Mothers Against Texting and Driving, are leading public campaigns to ban texting while driving. The evidence in support of such campaigns often compares texting while driving to other forms of impairment, such as drunk driving, but the evidence is often anecdotal or is selectively drawn from single studies. Such appeals do little to overcome drivers' overestimations of their abilities to "multi-task" while driving. Based on the assumption that scientific evidence regarding the comparative effects of text messaging while driving to other forms of impairment is required to establish credibility of campaigns, the authors conducted a planned contrast meta-analysis of the research in 3 domains. Results indicated large and comparable effects on poor driving performance for texting (r =.572) and alcohol use (r =.539), as well as marihuana use (r =.27), which, although moderate, was significantly less than either texting or alcohol.
KW - Communication Technology
KW - Driving Safety
KW - Drunk Driving
KW - Texting
KW - Texting While Driving
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864717014&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84864717014&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/08824096.2012.696079
DO - 10.1080/08824096.2012.696079
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84864717014
VL - 29
SP - 227
EP - 238
JO - Communication Research Reports
JF - Communication Research Reports
SN - 0882-4096
IS - 3
ER -