Carson Downer
Pronouns: he/him
Research Mentor(s): Tammy Chang
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Family Medicine / Medicine
Program:
Authors:
Session: Session 7: 4:40 pm – 5:30 pm
Poster: 68
Abstract
As cellphone use becomes increasingly ubiquitous, distracted driving has become more common— especially among young people. National polls often monitor adult views on distracted driving policies, with less known about youth perspectives. This study aims to understand youths’ opinions (ages 14-24) on the effectiveness of hands-free driving laws in reducing distracted driving. The Nationwide MyVoice Text Message Cohort (DeJonckheere et al., 2017) was used to survey a large sample of youth with diverse characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, educational level, family income, and geographic region. In March 2024 approximately 800 MyVoice participants were asked about various aspects of distracted driving using the open-ended text message survey. The draft survey questions include: 1. What are some things that take your attention away from the road while driving? If you don’t drive- what are things you have seen that distract drivers?, 2. What do you think about using a cell phone while driving?, 3. Does your state have a law against using a cell phone while driving? If yes, tell us about it., 4. Hands-free laws typically make it illegal to hold a phone with your hands, arms, or shoulders while driving. How do you think these laws influence young people’s phone use while driving?, 5. What do you think would help young people not use their phones while driving?. The investigative team coded the data through a process of open coding and discrepancies were discussed until consensus was reached. Using the codebook, they analyzed the open-ended responses using qualitative content analysis to provide important insight on the perspectives and lived experiences of youth regarding distracted driving and hands-free laws. These insights can inform future policies and programs to reduce distracted driving and car crashes among youth.
