10 ways that cellphones dangerously distract drivers

Parking lots | Men: 40.8% | Women: 46.1% | Overall: 43.5% | Percentage responding “never”: 7.3% (Photo: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

During the day | Men: 27.6% | Women: 29.1% | Overall: 28.4% | Percentage responding “never”: 11.4% (Photo: iStock)

On empty streets | Men: 26.5% | Women: 27.0% | Overall: 26.7% | Percentage responding “never”: 12.7% (Photo: Shutterstock)

While bored | Men: 24.5% | Women: 19.7% | Overall: 22.1% | Percentage responding “never”: 26.4% (Photo: Shutterstock)

At night | Men: 20.7% | Women: 16.1% | Overall: 18.4% | Percentage responding “never”: 21.5% (Photo: Shutterstock)

On the highway | Men: 15.5% | Women: 10.7% | Overall: 13.1% | Percentage responding “never”: 37.3% (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In rain | Men: 14.2% | Women: 10.3% | Overall: 12.2% | Percentage responding “never”: 35.0% (Photo: iStock)

In snow | Men: 9.4% | Women: 5.7% | Overall: 7.5% | Percentage responding “never”: 55.7% (Photo: iStock)
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Despite public campaigns and advances in vehicle technology, distracted driving continues to plague roads and highways in the U.S.

Preliminary numbers from the National Safety Council estimate that roughly 40,000 people lost their lives to car crashes in 2018. Distracted driving likely contributed to that figure.

To understand how cellphones distract drivers, The Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business conducted an online pilot survey. The 386 respondents reported driving at least three times a week and owning a smartphone. Among its findings, distracted driving was predicted by gender, overconfidence and positive attitudes towards cellphones, among other factors.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month begins in April, which is just around the corner. In the above slideshow, respondents were asked “How likely are you use to your phone while driving…” on a scale of 0-100%. With this in mind, here are some of the key takeaways from The Risk Institute’s latest findings.