Roadside cameras and telematics data could provide a more complete picture of driver cellphone use, according to two new studies from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Observers relying on photographs taken with roadside cameras were almost as good as in-person monitors at identifying drivers who were using their cellphones, one study showed. A second study demonstrated that the telematics data collected by the safe-driver apps that are gaining ground in the insurance industry could provide more details about when and how drivers are using their devices.
“One of the challenging aspects of combating cellphone-related distraction is the absence of good information about where, when and how drivers are using their phones,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “Roadside cameras and telematics could help fill in the gaps, improving our understanding of how cellphones affect crash risk.”
