Secondary Task Engagement While Driving on Mashhad Urban Roads

Distracted driving, specifically cell phone use while driving, has been found to be responsible for traffic accidents and road casualties throughout the world annually. The aim of this observational study was to determine the frequency of drivers' engagement in hazardous secondary activities on Mashhad urban roads, particularly cell phone use. This was a 3-month cross-sectional study. Data on drivers’ secondary task management on 17 randomly selected sites and 42 arterial and collector roads were obtained from Mashhad Traffic and Transportation Organization records and analyzed using the Pearson's chi-squared test. The rate of cell phone use was 5.27%, the most widely observed related task being handheld conversation (3.15%) followed by texting (1.83%) and hands-free use (0.28%). In addition, 1.75% of the drivers were engaged in other risky tasks such as eating, drinking beverages and smoking. Distracted female drivers and drivers aged 26-35 years were significantly more likely to be engaging in cell phone use, while drivers under 26 years old were the dominant group as regards texting. Further analysis of the data showed significant differences between male and female drivers as regards as behaviors while driving. Based on the findings it is concluded that there are serious problems related to drivers’ secondary activities while driving. Raising public awareness, educational interventions, law enforcement and tougher legislation will certainly minimize deaths due to car accidents, as well as financial and social damage, due to drivers’ distraction, in line with achieving a safe social environment.