Car Cell Phone Talkers Less Likely To Buckle Up, Says Hunter College Study

Date: May 15, 2006
Contact: Meredith Halpern (meredith.halpern@hunter.cuny.edu)
Phone: (212) 772-4068

NEW YORK – Drivers who talk on hand-held phones – a population of drivers at greater risk for an automobile accident -- are less likely to wear seat belts than those who were not talking on a hand-held cell phone, according to a new Hunter College study.

According to the study, conducted by Hunter College students who observed almost 2,000 drivers at 33 New York City intersections, only 78.6 percent of drivers talking on hand-held phones used their seat belt compared to 87.1 percent of drivers who were not talking on a hand-held phone.

And there is a noticeable gender gap in seat belt compliance, with men (85 percent) less likely than women drivers (91 percent) to wear seat belts. Overall 87 percent of the drivers observed comply with the law and wear seat belts, the study showed.

Passengers and drivers seem to have an effect on each other’s seat belt use. Only 54.6 percent of drivers wear a seat belt when a front seat passenger is not belted in, the study found. By contrast, 98.3 percent of drivers buckle-up when a front seat driver is also buckled-up. While it’s not possible to discern if it’s the driver’s behavior, or the front seat passenger’s, which exerts influence on seat belt use, it’s clear that the presence of another person effects seat belt compliance.

The study also found that taxi cab drivers are much less likely to wear a seat belt than SUV drivers and drivers of sedans. Only 78 percent of taxi drivers observed wore their seat belt, while nearly 90 percent of SUV and sedan drivers complied with the seat belt law.

“While overall the findings in this study are encouraging, with the vast majority of New Yorkers wearing their seat belts, a significant finding here is that drivers talking on hand-held cell phones are less likely to buckle up,” said Hunter sociology professor Peter Tuckel. “Since these drivers are more likely to get into an accident in the first place, not wearing a seat belt is likely to increase their risk of injury.”

The study was conducted by Hunter College students enrolled in an Introduction to Research Methods course. The students were trained in observational research techniques, provided with strict methodological guidelines, and required to choose drivers observed within a given location on a scientifically random basis. The study was conducted between March 31 and April 30, 2006. The students observed 1,980 drivers at 33 different locations in New York City.

About Hunter
With a highly diverse student population of more than 20,000, Hunter is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the first choice among all CUNY applicants. Founded in 1870, the College offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs. Hunter is noted for its professional schools in education, health sciences, nursing and social work, as well as its excellence in the liberal arts. Heralded as the "Crown Jewel of CUNY" by The Princeton Review, Hunter College has a distinguished reputation for nurturing talented minority scientists and meeting the challenge of providing high-quality science education in the 21st century. The College also oversees the Hunter College Campus Schools serving gifted and talented students, preschool through grade 12. For more information about Hunter College, please visit our Web site at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu.

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