| Title | Evaluation of NHTSA Distracted Driving High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Projects in California and Delaware |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 60986 |
| Personal Name Creator |
Chaudhary, Neil K.; Connolly, Joyce; Tison, Julie; Solomon, M.; Elliott, K. R. |
| Corporate Creator | Preusser Research Group, Inc. |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection |
| Publisher | Preusser Research Group, Inc. |
| Publication Date | 20150100 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | 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 percent to 2.7 percent in California (a 34% reduction); and from 4.5 percent to 3.0 percent 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. |
| Rosap ID | dot:1995 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1995 |
| TRT Terms | Visibility; Law enforcement; Distracted driving; Cellular telephones; Evaluation; Data analysis; Crash data; Demonstration projects |
| General Subjects | High-visibility enforcement; distracted driving; California; Delaware |
| Geographical Coverage |
California; Delaware |
| Contract Number | DTNH22-06-D-XXXX |
| Report Number | DOT HS 812 108 |
| Availability | NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/60000/60900/60986/812108_EvaluationDistractedDrivingCA-DE.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |