Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: A case-crossover study

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the effect of drivers' use of mobile (cell) phones on road safety. Design: A case-crossover study. Setting: Perth, Western Australia. Participants: 456 drivers aged ≥ 17 who owned or used mobile phones and had been involved in road crashes necessitating hospital attendance between April 2002 and July 2004. Main outcome measure: Driver's use of mobile phone at estimated time of crash and on trips at the same time of day in the week before the crash. Interviews with drivers in hospital and phone company's records of phone use. Results: Driver's use of a mobile phone up to 10 minutes before a crash was associated with a fourfold increased likelihood of crashing (odds rati..