Doctors urged to talk to patients about parking cellphones
Family physicians regularly counsel patients about medical risks associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes and smoking, and a team from the University of Alberta wants to add cellphone use and driving to the discussion.
Talking on a cellphone while driving raises the risk of collision by four to six times - comparable to getting behind the wheel while under the influence, studies show. Addressing the problem requires educating the public about the risks, and a good place to start is in the doctor’s office.
“The evidence is clear and compelling. Epidemiologic, driver simulator and naturalistic studies demonstrate that cellphones and driving are a dangerous combination. Unfortunately, while most drivers view cellphone use as driving as unacceptable, many of them still engage in it,” writes Victoria K. Lee, a family medicine resident at the U of A, in a commentary published July 29 in the journal Canadian Family Physician.
Lee co-wrote the article with pediatrics resident Chantelle Champagne and Louis Hugo Francescutti, a professor in the School of Public Health and adjunct professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine.
The trio maintains that physicians have a role in educating patients through open dialogue about their views to see if they’re aware of the hazards of talking while behind the wheel. They offer a number of discussion points, from increased odds of a collision to risks associated with talking on a hands-free device (studies show it’s just as dangerous), text messaging (collision risk jumps 23 times) and the lack of hard statistics about cellphone-related crashes.
“Once patients are convinced of the risks of cellphone use while driving, help to prevent them from developing the habit or help them change their behaviour,” they write, listing the following advice:
- turn off your cellphone when you enter your vehicle or switch it to silent mode and put it somewhere you cannot reach it;
- set up caller ID and a reliable voice mail system that lets callers know you might be driving and will return their call at a later time;
- ask passengers to help by operating cellphones and other electronic devices. If you are the passenger, speak up and offer to help;
- if you need to make an important call, pull over and park in a safe location before reaching for your cellphone;
- do not call your friends, co-workers, clients, or family when you know they are driving.
Utah Psychologists Warn Against Cell Phone Use While Driving
Three years after the preliminary results first were presented at a scientific meeting and drew wide attention, University of Utah psychologists have published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free cellular phones are as impaired as drunken drivers.
“We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit” of 0.08 percent, which is the minimum level that defines illegal drunken driving in most U.S. states, says study co-author Frank Drews, an assistant professor of psychology. “If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.”
Psychology Professor David Strayer, the study’s lead author, adds: “Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell phone and drive. The level of impairment is very similar.”
“Clearly the safest course of action is to not use a cell phone while driving,” concludes the study by Strayer, Drews and Dennis Crouch, a research associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology. The study was set for publication June 29 in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
The study reinforced earlier research by Strayer and Drews showing that hands-free cell phones are just as distracting as handheld cell phones because the conversation itself – not just manipulation of a handheld phone – distracts drivers from road conditions.
Human Factors Editor Nancy J. Cooke praised the study: “Although we all have our suspicions about the dangers of cell phone use while driving, human factors research on driver safety helps us move beyond mere suspicions to scientific observations of driver behavior.”
The study first gained public notice after Strayer presented preliminary results in July 2003 in Park City, Utah, during the Second International Driving Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle Design. It took until now for the study to be completed, undergo review by other researchers and finally be published.
The U of A team says driver education, workplace restrictions, new technologies, media attention and legislation can all play a role in changing cellphone use behaviours, in addition to primary care physicians.
“Patients regard us as community leaders and experts in health and safety. We are in a unique position to influence the thoughts and behaviour of people regarding their overall health and well-being by educating them about the issue of distracted driving.”
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By Bryan Alary
University of Alberta