The prevalence of mobile phone use among motorcyclists in three Mexican cities

To quantify the prevalence of mobile phone use among motorcyclists in 3 Mexican cities and to identify associated factors.

Two rounds of roadside observations were conducted in Guadalajara-Zapopan, León, and Cuernavaca from December 2011 to May 2012. Observation sites were selected randomly and all motorcyclists circulating at those sites were recorded. Motorcyclists observed talking into a phone (either handheld or hands-free) or texting were recorded as using a mobile phone while driving.

A total of 4244 motorcyclists were observed. The overall prevalence of mobile phone use was 0.64 percent (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.92); it was highest in Guadalajara-Zapopan (1.03%; 95% CI: 0.61-1.63) and among motorcyclists not using a helmet (1.45% versus 0.4%; P = .000) and those riding on 1-lane roads (1.6% versus 0.8% on 2-lane roads and 0.5% in 3- to 5-lane roads; P = .046).

To our knowledge this is the first study that reports the prevalence of mobile phone use while driving among motorcyclists. The observed prevalence is higher than the prevalence stated in a previous report from China on electric bicycle riders. This risk factor should be monitored in the future given the growing popularity of motorcycles and the availability of mobile devices. Current legislation should be enforced to avoid potential injuries and deaths attributable to this risk factor.