Texting while driving: does the new law work among healthcare providers?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transportation Safety
• Medical Research

Background:

• Georgia Senate Bill 360, enacted in August 2010, aimed to decrease texting while driving.
• The study investigated the law's impact on emergency medicine (EM) and general surgery (GS) healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of Georgia's texting while driving ban.
• To evaluate changes in texting while driving behaviors among EM and GS providers post-legislation.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was distributed to EM and GS providers in February 2011.
• Data analysis involved chi-squared tests and logistic regression using SPSS.
• The primary outcome was self-reported changes in texting/emailing while driving after the ban.

Main Results:

• A 46.8% response rate yielded 226 completed surveys.
• Only 76.6% of providers were aware of the texting ban.
• Nearly 68% reported no change in their texting while driving habits post-ban.
• Younger providers and those with speeding tickets were less likely to reduce texting.

Conclusions:

• Compliance with distracted driving laws is limited among EM and GS providers.
• Younger providers, those with speeding tickets, and a history of police stops for speeding showed lower compliance.
• Despite awareness of crash consequences, adherence to texting bans remains a concern.