The intersection of phones and traffic lights: analysis of usage and contributing factors

Abstract

The use of mobile phones by drivers while stopped at red traffic lights represents a potential threat due to the cognitive residuals from recent phone use. This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the rates, strategies and activities of phone use in this situation using both video-based naturalistic and online questionnaire data. The significant influencing factors were analysed. It was found that about 37% of drivers used their phones at traffic lights and the majority (85%) of phone use was initiated at intersections, suggesting the relevance of phone use at traffic lights. The questionnaire data revealed that the main purposes of phone use at red lights are social media (32%), followed by text messaging (19%) and map navigation (13%), with the phone ringing, boredom and habit being the main reasons given for engaging in such activities. A logistic regression model identified waiting time, time of day, driver's age, vehicle category, vehicle value, age of driving licence and the presence of passengers as predictors for phone use. Policymakers and driver educators can find useful information in this paper to enforce laws and educate drivers to ensure safety and efficiency at signalised intersections, thus avoiding potential accidents.