A revised economic analysis of restrictions on the use of cell phones while driving.
Cohen JT, Graham JD. · 2003
View Original AbstractEconomic analysis shows cell phone use while driving provides zero net benefit to society when crash risks are properly calculated.
Plain English Summary
Researchers at Harvard analyzed the economic costs and benefits of allowing cell phone use while driving, finding that the convenience benefits are essentially canceled out by the increased crash risks and associated costs. Their revised analysis concluded there is zero net benefit to society from permitting phone use behind the wheel, contradicting earlier studies that suggested the practice should remain legal. This finding supports policy restrictions on driving while using mobile devices.
Why This Matters
While this study doesn't directly measure EMF health effects, it provides crucial context for understanding real-world cell phone exposure patterns and risks. The research demonstrates that even when accounting for the convenience benefits people derive from mobile phone use, the practice of driving while talking creates measurable harm to public safety. What this means for you: the widespread use of cell phones in potentially dangerous situations like driving reflects how normalized constant EMF exposure has become in our society. The study's finding of zero net benefit challenges the common assumption that any restriction on wireless device use automatically reduces quality of life, suggesting instead that strategic limitations on when and where we use these devices can serve the broader public interest without meaningful sacrifice.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This article revises the assumptions used in the two previous analyses to make them consistent and updates them using recent data
The result is a best estimate of zero for the net benefit of cell phone use while driving, a finding...
Show BibTeX
@article{jt_2003_a_revised_economic_analysis_1988,
author = {Cohen JT and Graham JD.},
title = {A revised economic analysis of restrictions on the use of cell phones while driving.},
year = {2003},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12635719/},
}