142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Home Events & Meetings Annual Meeting Schedule & Program

Online Program

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

309751
Impact of Michigan's text messaging restriction on motor vehicle crashes

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM

C. Raymond Bingham, PhD , Transportation Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Johnathon P. Ehsani, PhD , Health Behavior Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,, Bethesda, MD
Ed Ionides, PhD , Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
David Childers, MA , Center for Statistical Consultation and Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Purpose:  The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Michigan's universal text-messaging restriction (effective July 2010) across different age groups of drivers and crash severities.

Methods:  Changes in monthly crash rates and crash trends per 10,000 licensed drivers aged 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-24, and 25-50 years were estimated using time series analysis for three levels of crash severity: (1) fatal/disabling injury (2) non-disabling injury and (3) possible injury/property damage only (PDO) crashes for the period 2005 to 2012. Analyses were adjusted for crash rates of drivers' age 65-99 years, Michigan's unemployment rate, and gasoline prices.

Results:  Following the introduction of the texting restriction, significant increases were observed in crash rates and monthly trends in fatal/disabling injury crashes and non-disabling injury crashes, and significant decreases in possible injury/PDO crashes. Where significant changes were observed, the magnitude of the effects was small.

Conclusions:  The introduction of the texting restriction was not associated with a reduction in crash rates or trends in severe crash types. On the contrary, small increases in the most severe crash types (fatal/disabling and non-disabling injury) and small decreases in the least severe crash types (possible injury/PDO) were observed. These findings extend the literature on the effects of cell phone restrictions by examining the effects of the restriction on newly licensed adolescent drivers and adult drivers separately, by crash severity.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the effects of Michigan's universal text-messaging restriction (effective July 2010) across different age groups of drivers and crash severities.

Keyword(s): Motor Vehicles, Adolescents

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PHD in Human Development with a specialization in adolescence, and have 15 years of experience conducting research on teen drivers.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4139.0: Public health law for injury control