6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Brain & Nervous System272 citations

Cellular phones and traffic accidents: an epidemiological approach.

Bioeffects Seen

Violanti JM, Marshall JR · 1996

View Original Abstract
Share:

Talking more than 50 minutes per month on a cellular phone in a vehicle was associated with a 5.59-fold increased risk of a traffic accident.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Talking more than 50 minutes per month on a cellular phone in a vehicle was associated with a 5.59-fold increased risk of a traffic accident. Combined use of cellular phones with motor and cognitive activities while driving was also associated with increased accident risk. The authors cautioned that the study had a small sample, showed only statistical associations, and did not conclude that talking on cellular phones while driving is inherently dangerous.

Why This Matters

The researchers examined the amount of time per month spent talking on a cellular phone along with 18 other driver inattention factors. Data were collected from Department of Motor Vehicles accident reports and survey information from study subjects.

Study Details

This study examined the association of cellular phone use in motor vehicles and traffic accident risk.

The amount of time per month spent talking on a cellular phone and 18 other driver inattention facto...

We hypothesized that increased use of cellular phones while driving was associated with increased od...

Readers should be cautioned that this study: (1) consists of a small sample, (2) reveals statistical associations and not causal relationships, and (3) does not conclude that talking on cellular phones while driving is inherently dangerous.

Cite This Study
Violanti JM, Marshall JR (1996). Cellular phones and traffic accidents: an epidemiological approach. Accid Anal Prev 28(2):265-270, 1996.
Show BibTeX
@article{jm_1996_cellular_phones_and_traffic_2663,
  author = {Violanti JM and Marshall JR},
  title = {Cellular phones and traffic accidents: an epidemiological approach.},
  year = {1996},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8703284/#:~:text=Results%20indicated%20that%20talking%20more,with%20increased%20traffic%20accident%20risk.},
}
PubMed: 8703284

Cited By (272 papers)

View all 272 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

The study examined the association between cellular phone use in motor vehicles and traffic accident risk.
Talking more than 50 minutes per month on a cellular phone in a vehicle was associated with a 5.59-fold increased risk of a traffic accident.
The case group consisted of 100 randomly selected drivers involved in accidents within the past 2 years, and the control group consisted of 100 randomly selected licensed drivers not involved in accidents within the past 10 years, matched on geographic residence.
The authors cautioned that the study had a small sample, showed only statistical associations and not causal relationships, and did not conclude that talking on cellular phones while driving is inherently dangerous.
The researchers examined the amount of time per month spent talking on a cellular phone and 18 other driver inattention factors.