Smartphone usage when driving a car

Although the use of smartphones while driving is subject to a fine and a point in the Flensburg driving aptitude register, this ban is often disregarded. Knowledge about user behaviour while driving is therefore an important basic information to be able to answer questions relevant to traffic safety. On behalf of the BASt, DTV-Verkehrsconsult GmbH, Aachen, conducted a detailed survey in which the user behaviour of car drivers was investigated under consideration of possible influencing parameters. Among other things, factors such as the age of the driver, traffic conditions and the type of route were recorded.

With the present results, a broad database on smartphone use among car drivers is available for the first time. Traffic monitoring proved to be an efficient way of collecting data during the study. Focusing on the central temporal area of the weekdays Tuesday to Thursday between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. seems to make sense in order to achieve a high number of observations. Similarly, the categoies of secondary activities introduced with the smartphone and those of reference activities have proved equally effective.

The monitoring, which is to be carried out on a continuous basis in the future, should provide information on the impact of campaigns or increased controls and sanctions.