Skip to main content

One-tenth of car accidents in France are caused by mobile telephone use

A French study cliams that nearly one-tenth of car accidents causing bodily injuries are associated with the use of mobile telephones. Compared to drivers who do not have phone conversations while driving, the risk of an accident increases threefold whether a driver is talking directly into a mobile phone or using a hands free kit. At any given moment, it is calculated that roughly six per cent of all drivers are talking on their mobile phones or hands-free kits.
May 16, 2012 Read time: 1 min
A French study claims that nearly one-tenth of car accidents causing bodily injuries are associated with the use of mobile telephones. Compared to drivers who do not have phone conversations while driving, the risk of an accident increases threefold whether a driver is talking directly into a mobile phone or using a hands free kit. At any given moment, it is calculated that roughly six per cent of all drivers are talking on their mobile phones or hands-free kits.

The report was published by Inserm, the French national institute for health and medical research, and the Ifsttar institute for transport science and technology.

Related Content

  • US to unify regulations on cell-phone use at the wheel?
    April 19, 2012
    A new bill being presented in the US may ban the use of cell-phones by drivers while at the wheel. Should this bill go ahead, it would unify actions in a number of states under a single law that applies to the entire country. The move, called the Safe Drivers Act, is seen crucial to plans to tackle distracted driving.
  • British drivers face ban on hands-free mobiles
    August 14, 2019
    UK drivers could be banned from using phones in hands-free mode, following a suggestion from MPs. The House of Commons Transport Select Committee has said that current UK law creates the “misleading impression” that the use of hands-free phones is a safe driving practice. However, there is increasing evidence to show that hands-free usage “creates the same risks of collision as using a hand-held device,” say the law-makers. In its latest report, Road Safety: driving while using a mobile phone, the
  • FTA says better enforcement needed to cut mobile phone use
    November 11, 2016
    Plans to double fines and penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving send a strong signal to drivers – but better enforcement is essential, says the Freight Transport Association (FTA). The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its response to the consultation on ‘Penalties for use of a Hand Held Mobile Phone Whilst Driving’ to which FTA contributed. DfT proposes that offenders receive:
  • Poor quality cycle lanes cause most accidents in Sweden
    May 4, 2012
    Poor quality of cycle lanes are the most likely cause of bicycle accidents in Sweden, a report by insurance company Folksam claims. Some 70 per cent of all bicycle accidents which cause serious injuries involved only the cyclist and were caused by poor maintenance of the lanes, gravel or snow. Around 20 per cent of the accidents involved a car or other four-wheeled vehicles, while 10 per cent involved a moped, another bicycle or a pedestrian.