Cell Phone Use Before Crashes Higher Than ThoughtMYCHELE DANIAU - Getty ImagesThe adage "Hang up and Drive" rings true.A new survey reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says the use of cell phones just before crashes is much higher than previously thought. And it could be even higher than that because the data relied on drivers who had voluntarily signed up for the study."A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that draws on telematics data confirms that far more drivers are using cellphones in the lead-up to crashes than is reflected in police reports," IIHS said.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe data come from safe-driving apps that drivers voluntarily enroll in. It shows that cellphone use prior to crashes is undercounted in police reports by a factor of at least 7, meaning the number may be seven times higher than reported."It's widely accepted that police reports often fail to capture the role of cellphones in crashes. Many smartphone functions are hard for a witness to see, and drivers are reluctant to admit being distracted," IIHS President David Harkey said. "Telematics are allowing us to understand the true magnitude of the problem."IIHS researchers examined anonymized cellphone data from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) for the study. (CMT is the world's largest telematics and AI company for safer mobility, the company says.)Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers - Getty ImagesIndividual drivers were not identified, just their cell phone use while driving. They found that drivers enrolled in safe-driving programs that rely on the CMT platform were using their cellphones in the 30 seconds prior to impact in 7 percent of single-vehicle crashes and 8 percent of two-vehicle crashes. Police reports for the same crashes, meanwhile, recorded cellphone use in less than 1 percent, IIHS said.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Those numbers include drivers whose screens were unlocked for any reason, including navigation," the study said. "However, telematics data show the problem of undercounting is nearly as severe when only physical manipulation of the phone and hand-held and hands-free calls are considered."It's not just cell phones that are the problem, IIHS noted."Anything that takes the driver's focus away from driving—including eating, talking, or even daydreaming—increases crash risk. But the risk is more severe for more complex tasks that take the driver's eyes away from the road. Looking away from the road for just two seconds doubles the risk of a crash or near-crash event."Things are getting worse, not better, when you consider that gaming and social media apps offer new temptations for bored drivers who think they can get away with being distracted from the task at hand, i.e. driving.Artur Debat - Getty Images"The apps may be new, but the danger isn't," IIHS Research Scientist Aimee Cox, the study's lead author, said. "Any phone use that takes a driver's eyes off the road can increase crash risk."AdvertisementAdvertisementIn many jurisdictions across the country, the laws have yet to catch up. Only 21 states prohibit drivers from holding phones, IIHS said.That data looked at nearly 17,000 linked crashes to determine when and how the drivers used their phones. To monitor distraction, the company tracked hand-held calls, hands-free calls, and manipulation or handling of the device. It also logged the use of Google Maps or YouTube, though that data was not used in the study, suggesting cell phone use could before crashes could be higher still.Even navigation apps can increase crash risk if drivers are looking away from the road ahead for too long, according to a separate US Department of Transportation study that tracked drivers during their everyday trips. Many of the longest glances away from the road before crashes and near crashes were directed toward the center stack, a common location for cellphone mounts, according to the DOT study.The upshot? Hang up and drive!