Dialling and driving: factors influencing intentions to use a mobile phone while driving.
Walsh SP, White KM, Hyde MK, Watson B. · 2008
View Original AbstractPersonal attitudes drive phone use while driving more than risk awareness, suggesting safety education alone won't reduce wireless device dangers.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied what psychological factors influence people's intentions to use mobile phones while driving, examining attitudes, social pressure, and risk perceptions across different driving scenarios. They found that personal attitudes consistently predicted phone use intentions while driving, and pressure from others influenced some decisions, but surprisingly, risk perception didn't make people choose safer driving behaviors. This suggests that reducing distracted driving requires multiple approaches targeting different psychological motivations.
Why This Matters
While this study doesn't directly measure EMF exposure levels, it reveals a critical gap in how we address wireless device risks. The finding that risk perception doesn't predict safer driving behavior mirrors broader patterns in EMF health awareness. People continue using devices despite growing evidence of potential harm, often because convenience and social pressure override health concerns. What this means for you is that education about EMF risks alone may not change behavior. The research suggests we need comprehensive strategies that address not just the science, but also social norms and practical barriers to safer technology use. This behavioral insight becomes increasingly important as we navigate the health implications of our wireless world.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The present study utilised the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to examine the role of attitudes, norms, control factors, and risk perceptions, in predicting people's intentions to use their mobile phone while driving
We examined the predictors of intentions to use a mobile phone while driving in general, and for cal...
There was some support for the TPB given that attitudes consistently predicted intentions to drive w...
These findings indicate that different factors influence each form of mobile phone use while driving and, hence, a multi-strategy approach is likely to be required to address the issue.
Show BibTeX
@article{sp_2008_dialling_and_driving_factors_2676,
author = {Walsh SP and White KM and Hyde MK and Watson B.},
title = {Dialling and driving: factors influencing intentions to use a mobile phone while driving.},
year = {2008},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19068291/},
}