cell phone use summary
TRANSCRIPT
Research Project # SML: 0909-34Project Title: Compliance With Cell Phone Restrictions In Texas School ZonesEffective Date Of Restrictions: 1 September 2009, H.B. 55 (TX)
Before Restrictions Assessed August 2009/After Restrictions Data First-Third Week September 2009Sampling Reported In Three Categories: Limited Enforcement, Strong Enforcement, Control (no signs posted-limited enforcement)
Limited Enforcement (all locations with posted signs)
Location Before Restrictions After Restrictions
Wichita Street/Fort Worth, TX Total Vehicles 1,002 Total Vehicles 890(school zone active 1445-1700 hrs) Male/Female Sample 570/432 Male/Female Sample 491/399
% On Phone 7.1% % On Phone 7.3%Male/Male % 5.1% Male/Male % 5.5%Female/Female % 9.5% Female/Female % 9.5%
Leonard School/Benbrook Rd./Fort Worth, TX Total Vehicles 1,076 Total Vehicles 989(school zone active 0830-0930 hrs) Male/Female Sample 694/382 Male/Female Sample 582/407
% On Phone 7.1% % On Phone 7.2%Male/Male % 5.9% Male/Male % 5.8%Female/Female % 9.2% Female/Female% 9.1%
Cottonwood Elem./Coppell,TX Total Vehicles 481 Total Vehicles 471(school zone active 1445-1600 hrs) Male/Female Sample 212/269 Male/Female Sample 202/269
% On Phone 7.6% % On Phone 7.9%Male/Male % 5.6% Male/Male % 5.4%Female/Female % 9.4% Female/Female % 9.7%
Total Sample Size 2,559 Total Sample Size 2,350Male/Female Sample 1,476/1,083 Male/Female Sample 1,275/1,075
` % On Phone 7.3% % On Phone 7.6%Male/Male % 5.7% Male/Male % 5.8%Female/Female % 9.4% Female/Female % 9.6%
Total Sample Limited =4,909
Strong Enforcement (location with posted signs)
3325 Valley View Lane/Farmers Branch, TX Total Vehicles 604 Total Vehicles 640(school zone active 1415-1530 hrs) Male/Female Sample 317/287 Male/Female Sample 305/335
% On Phone 7.7% % On Phone 2.3%Male/Male% 5.4% Male/Male% 1.6%Female/Female% 9.5% Female/Female% 3.0%
Total Sample Strong =1,244Total Sample Strong / Limited=6,153
Control Sample-No Signs Restricting Cell Phone Use In School Zones-No Strong Enforcement-Three Weeks After Date Of State Law
Before School Zone Active During School Zone Active
2800 W. Arkansas, Arlington, TX Total Vehicles 476 Total Vehicles 586(school zone active 1430-1600 hrs) Male/Female 249/227 Male/Female 278/308
% On Phone 8.8% % On Phone 7.1%Male/Male% 6.0% Male/Male% 4.0%Female/Female% 11.9% Female/Female% 9.7%
Total Sample No Signs=1,062Grand Total Of Research=7,215
Statistics clearly show with no signs banning cell phone use in school zones, drivers used their phones at higher rate before the school zone became activecompared to those school zones posting the signs. Further, where enforcement was aggressively present on a consistent basis and with the cooperation ofthe courts as is the case with Farmers Branch, the total percentage of cell phone use was significantly reduced when school zones were active. With LimitedEnforcement the average % On Phone was 7.6% for 4,909 vehicles compared to Strong Enforcement of only 2.3% when school zones were active. This isa reduction of 5.3% with Strong Enforcement. The data suggests conclusively that cell phone use bans in school zones will only be effective with,1) posting the signs of restriction of cell phone use and, 2) strong, consistent enforcement with court cooperation. Research design mandated multipleobservations on different days during inactive and active school zones Speed Measurement Laboratories, Inc.-817/2912396, [email protected].