Study Shows Handheld Cell Use Among Teens Increases Risky Driving

A new study found a strong association between handheld cellphone use and risky driving behaviors among newly licensed teenage drivers.

The study was conducted by a group of researchers led by Penn Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine and funded by the Centers for Disease Control. It published online first in JAMA Open, and summarized by Newswise.

The study found teens who used cellphones while driving were more likely to engage in driving behaviors like hard braking and rapid acceleration.

Researchers used a smartphone telematics application to track the driving habits of 119 teen drivers licensed for less than one year over 60 days. They analyzed data on trip characteristics, speeding, handheld cellphone use, and risky driving events.

The study found that speeding occurred in more than 40% of trips.

The research was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under award number.