Exposure to hand-held mobile phone use while driving among Iranian passenger car drivers: an observational study

Abstract

This study aims to document patterns of mobile phone use among drivers of passenger vehicles, including cars, mini-vans, and utility vehicles in the streets of Kerman, a city in the south-east of Iran, in the fall of 2009. The results showed that of the approximately 30,000 drivers who were observed on the weekdays during daytime hours and on different streets, an average of 3.6% were using their hand-held mobile phones while driving. There was no statistically significant difference between men and women in mobile phone use during driving. However, younger and middle aged drivers used mobile phones more frequently than the older adults and the elderly. Also, the use of mobile phones were more frequent on streets in the central part of town, and the ring road in comparison to suburban streets, and were more frequently used in the morning than in the afternoon. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved)