This literature review concerning cellular phone use during motor vehicle operation and its affect on traffic accidents, will address the following areas relevant to this study: history of cellular phone use; relevant statistics; rumors regarding cellular phone hazards; other internal motor vehicle distractions; effects on attention; safety issue recommendations; and conclusion.
A review of the history of cellular phone use will demonstrate that while early focus on cell phones regarded growth in wireless communication, more recent focus includes a concern for highway safety.
Quittner reports that the cellular phone has grown and been more popular than any other communications device in the last nine years, ten million subscribers bought this product during this time period. No longer a tool for only the very rich, the cell phone has become less and less expensive and it is becoming commonplace among the public (1).
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the cellular telephone was introduced in 1983, and has since then incurred a growth rate of around 40 percent per year. It is predicted that there will be around 80 million cell phone users in the United states by the year 2000. Cell phones are becoming smaller and less expensive. Size, flexibility, connectivity, and voice communication were the primary early focus of the cellular industry. This focus led to its increase in popularity; drivers commuting or traveling could now easily use the cell phone to be more productive (5-6).
As the cellular phone becomes more widely used, the concern for road safety increases. Consistent increases in the raising of this concern by the public, legislative, and media, led to the research and report generated by the NHTSA in 1997. Initially, safety effects of having a cellular phone in the vehicle were documented; drivers with cell phones ensure security of themselves and others since they are abl...