ASSESSMENT OF HANDHELD CELLULAR TELEPHONE USE ON DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS FREEWAYS

Public attention has increased over recent years on the popular use of cellular telephones in vehicles. Though the bulk of research lies in human factors impacts, relatively little research has been conducted on linking use to vehicle accidents. No previous research was found that identified the amount of use as recorded in the field, rather use is typically measured from responses taken from cellular telephone subscribers. This research assessed handheld cellular telephone use among drivers on highways during the afternoon peak period in Dallas County, Texas. Use was measured through visual data collection methods. Five percent of drivers were observed using a handheld cellular telephone; use was lower in less dense urban areas than in more dense urban areas. The maximum proportion observed was slightly over eight percent -- driving in the peak direction in a dense urban area. Interactions were found among site location, time of day, and travel direction. These estimates are conservative in nature because they do not include the use of either handheld cellular telephones with hands-free adapters, or in-vehicle, installed hands-free cellular telephone systems