Evaluation of the NHTSA Distracted Driving High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Projects in California and Delaware

High-visibility enforcement (increased police presence supported by paid and earned media) was implemented in the Sacramento area of California and in Delaware in support of laws banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Three waves of enforcement were conducted from November 2012 to June 2013. Paid and earned media featured the tagline, Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other. The program evaluation included analyzing media and enforcement activity data, administering an awareness survey, conducting roadside observations of driver electronic device use, and analyzing crash data. Crash data analyses did not reveal any apparent effect on the incidence of distraction-related crashes in the same periods. This is likely due to the overall small percentage of crashes coded as distraction-related. Driver surveys showed an increase in awareness that cell phone laws were being enforced. Observed handheld driver cell phone use dropped by one-third from 4.1% to 2.7% in California (a 34% reduction); and from 4.5% to 3.0% in Delaware (a 33% reduction). It was concluded that high-visibility enforcement can be implemented over widespread, multijurisdictional areas and may reduce the number of people who use handheld cell phones while driving.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812108_EvaluationDistractedDrivingCA-DE.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cover title: Evaluation of NHTSA Distracted Driving High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Projects In California and Delaware
• Corporate Authors:

  Preusser Research Group, Incorporated

  7100 Main Street
  Trumbull, CT  United States  06611

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Chaudhary, Neil K
  • Connolly, Joyce
  • Tison, Julie
  • Solomon, Mark
  • Elliott, Kim
• Publication Date: 2015-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 72p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile drivers; Cellular telephones; Crash data; Distraction; Evaluation; Safety campaigns; Surveys; Traffic law enforcement
• Geographic Terms: California; Delaware
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01555753
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 812 108
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Mar 2 2015 10:17AM