Potential Distractions and Unsafe Driving Behaviors Among Drivers of 1- to 12-year-old Children

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Acad Pediatr
• Personal Author:
  Macy, Michelle L. ; Carter, Patrick M. ; Bingham, C. Raymond ; Cunningham, Rebecca M. ; Freed, Gary L.
• Description:
  Objective
  
  Driver distraction has been identified as a threat to individual drivers and public health. Motor vehicle collisions remain a leading cause of death for children yet little is known about distractions among drivers of children. This study sought to characterize potential distractions among drivers of children.
  
  Methods
  
  A two-site, cross-sectional, computerized survey of child passenger safety practices was conducted among adult drivers of 1- to 12-year-old children who presented for emergency care between October 2011-May 2012. Drivers indicated the frequency with which they engaged in ten potential distractions in the past month while driving with their child. Distractions were grouped in four categories: 1) non-driving, 2) cellular phone, 3) child, 4) directions. Information about other unsafe driving behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics was collected.
  
  Results
  
  Nearly 90% of eligible parents participated. Analysis included 570 (92.2%) drivers. Non-driving and cellular phone-related distractions were disclosed by >75% of participants. Fewer participants disclosed child (71.2%) and directions-related distractions (51.9%). Child age was associated with each distraction category. Cellular phone-related distractions were associated with the child riding daily in the family car, non-Hispanic white and other race/ethnicity, and higher education. Parents admitting to drowsy driving and being pulled over for speeding had over two-times higher odds of disclosing distractions from each category.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Distracted driving activities are common among drivers of child passengers and associated with other unsafe driving behaviors. Child passenger safety may be improved by preventing crash events through the reduction or elimination of distractions among drivers of child passengers.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Adolescent Adult Article Attention Automobile Driving Cell Phones Child Child, Preschool Child Passenger Safety Cross-Sectional Studies Driving Distractions Female Humans Infant Male Parents Risk-Taking Survey Surveys And Questionnaires Young Adult

  More +
• Source:
  Acad Pediatr. 2014; 14(3):279-286.
• Pubmed ID:
  24767781
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4031753
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  K23 HD070913/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; K23 HD070913/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R49CE002099/CE/NCIPC CDC HHS/United States
• Volume:
  14
• Issue:
  3
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:d1bc20c991c37e16f765f430b29cb8f6db17c7c3def8df775c1a06e70114ba9d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/29967/cdc_29967_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 604.35 KB ]