• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 8, 2011

According to The Harris Poll of 2,163 adults surveyed online between June 13 and 20, 2011, 60% of drivers with cell phones use them while driving even though 91% of adults know it is unsafe to do so. This is particularly common among younger drivers with cell phones. In addition, 22% of drivers with cell phones send or read text messages while driving. However, the percentage of drivers with cell phones who use them while driving has fallen over the last two years, from 72% in 2009 to 60% now. And, the number who text while driving has fallen a little from 27% to 22%.

Trend Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% Of Adults Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone)
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Talk while driving(net)	73%	72%	60%
All the time	6	10	5
Sometimes	67	62	55
Never	27	28	40
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

Several studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones while driving are much more likely to be involved with accidents, and it is believed that texting is even more dangerous. Recent research has shown that both hand held and hands-free cell phones are almost equally dangerous because they are equally likely to distract drivers. However, 77% of the public believe that hands-free phones are safer.

72% of Echo Boomers, aged 18-34, and 69% of Gen Xers, aged 35-46 are more likely to use cell phones while driving than Baby Boomers, aged 47-65 (59%), and much more likely than drivers over 65 (32%) to do so

Frequency Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% of Adults who drive and have a cell phone)
		Generation				Type of driver
Frequency	Total June 2011	(18-34)	(35-46)	(47-65)	(66+)	>Avg.	Avg.	<Avg.
Talk while driving (NET)	60%	72	69	59	32	62	59	38
All the time	5%	11	6	3	*	7	3	4
Sometimes	55%	61	64	56	31	55	56	34
Never	40	28	31	41	68	38	41	62
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

57% of drivers rate themselves as better than average drivers. Only 1% rate themselves as worse than average. 66% of men are much more likely than women (48%) to think that they are better than average drivers

Texting while driving is also much more common among younger drivers. 49% of drivers with cell phones under 35 send or read text messages while driving compared to only 24% of Gen X, 11% of Baby Boomers and less than 1% of people over 65.

Frequency Of Sending Or Receiving Text Messages On Cell Phone While Driving (Base: Those Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone)
Frequency	May 2009	June 2011	Generation
			(18-34)	(35-46)	(47-65)	(66+)
All the time	5%	2	7	1	*	*
Sometimes	22%	20	42	23	11	*
Never	74%	78	51	76	89	100
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

60% of drivers who use cell phones while driving use hand-held phones. This number has declined from 72% in 2006 and 66% in 2009;

Hold Cell Phone Or Use Hands-Free Device While Driving - Trend (Base: Adults Who Ever Talk On A Cell Phone While Driving)
Phone	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Hold phone	72%	66	60
Hands-free device	28%	34	40
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

The large majority who know that it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving has increased from 82% in 2006 to 91%

Hands-Free Phone Is Safer? - Trend (Base: All Adults)
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Safer (NET)	70%	71%	77%
Much safer	13	19	14
Somewhat safer	57	52	63
Just as safe	22	20	17
More dangerous (NET)	8	9	6
Somewhat more dangerous	6	7	5
Much more dangerous	2	2	2
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

The percentage of the public who live in states that require (or, which they believe, require) the use of hands-free phones has increased from 14% in 2006 to 38% now.

The implications of these findings point to several important conclusions, says the report:

• Most drivers with cell phones are behaving in ways (talking on cell phones and/or reading or sending texts) that greatly increase the likelihood that they will be involved in accidents, and injure themselves and others
• Furthermore, many of them believe, probably wrongly, that if they use hands-free phones they are safer
• The problem may be made worse by the fact that most drivers think they are better than average drivers and, perhaps, that their driving skills can keep them out of trouble

The report concludes that "... the need for laws to ban all cell phone use and texting while driving, including the use of hands-free phones, except in emergencies..."

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

For more from Harris, please visit here.