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Association between cellular-telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions.

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Redelmeier DA, Tibshirani RJ · 1997

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Using a cellular telephone while driving was associated with a fourfold increase in collision risk.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers used a case-crossover design to study 699 drivers who had cellular telephones and were involved in motor vehicle collisions with substantial property damage but no personal injury. The risk of a collision during a call was four times higher than when not using a telephone, with a relative risk of 4.3. Calls placed within five minutes of the collision had a relative risk of 4.8, while hands-free units offered no safety advantage over hand-held units.

Why This Matters

The study analyzed 26,798 calls over a 14-month period. Thirty-nine percent of drivers called emergency services after the collision, indicating a potential benefit of having a telephone.

Study Details

Because of a belief that the use of cellular telephones while driving may cause collisions, several countries have restricted their use in motor vehicles, and others are considering such regulations. We used an epidemiologic method, the case–crossover design, to study whether using a cellular telephone while driving increases the risk of a motor vehicle collision.

We studied 699 drivers who had cellular telephones and who were involved in motor vehicle collisions...

A total of 26,798 cellular-telephone calls were made during the 14-month study period. The risk of a...

The use of cellular telephones in motor vehicles is associated with a quadrupling of the risk of a collision during the brief period of a call. Decisions about regulation of such telephones, however, need to take into account the benefits of the technology and the role of individual responsibility.

Cite This Study
Redelmeier DA, Tibshirani RJ (1997). Association between cellular-telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions. N Engl J Med 13;336(7):453-458, 1997.
Show BibTeX
@article{da_1997_association_between_cellulartelephone_calls_2534,
  author = {Redelmeier DA and Tibshirani RJ},
  title = {Association between cellular-telephone calls and motor vehicle collisions.},
  year = {1997},
  doi = {10.1056/nejm199702133360701},
  url = {https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199702133360701},
}
DOI: 10.1056/nejm199702133360701

Cited By (1,257 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Researchers used a case-crossover design to compare collision risk during calls versus non-call periods.
The risk of a collision was four times higher during a call, with a relative risk of 4.3.
Hands-free units had a relative risk of 5.9 and offered no safety advantage over hand-held units with a relative risk of 3.9.
Thirty-nine percent of drivers called emergency services after the collision.