Cellular phones and traffic accidents.
Violanti JM · 1997
View Original AbstractCellular phone ownership significantly increased drivers' accident rates and fatality risk, revealing early evidence of wireless technology's behavioral health impacts.
Plain English Summary
Researchers analyzed accident statistics comparing drivers with and without cellular phones to see if phone ownership affected crash patterns. They found that drivers with cellular phones had significantly higher rates of accidents involving inattention, unsafe speed, hitting fixed objects, and vehicle rollovers, plus an increased risk of being killed in crashes. The study suggests that having a cellular phone correlates with more dangerous driving behaviors and worse accident outcomes.
Why This Matters
This 1997 study provides early evidence of the behavioral risks associated with cellular phone use while driving, even before smartphones became ubiquitous. What makes this research particularly relevant to the EMF health debate is that it demonstrates measurable real-world consequences of wireless technology adoption that extend beyond direct biological effects. The findings show that cellular phone ownership itself correlates with increased accident risk and fatality rates, suggesting that the technology influences human behavior in ways that compromise safety. While this study doesn't measure EMF exposure levels directly, it highlights how wireless devices can impact health outcomes through multiple pathways - not just through electromagnetic radiation exposure, but through the behavioral changes they encourage. The reality is that as we've become increasingly dependent on wireless devices over the past 25 years, these behavioral risks have only intensified with features like texting, internet browsing, and app notifications creating even more driving distractions.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study examined statistical rate-ratios of accident characteristics between drivers with or without cellular phones.
Rates were calculated between cellular phone involvement and reported accident causes, types of coll...
Results indicated a significant increased rate among drivers with cellular phones for inattention, u...
Rate-ratios of some accident characteristics and fatalities increased as age increased, with the exception of drivers under age 20 yrs, who had the highest fatality rate. Limitations of the study and possible prevention alternatives are discussed.
Show BibTeX
@article{jm_1997_cellular_phones_and_traffic_2662,
author = {Violanti JM},
title = {Cellular phones and traffic accidents.},
year = {1997},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0033350697000942},
}