New data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) challenges long-held assumptions about distracted driving. Contrary to previous assumptions, drivers are more likely to use their cellphones at high speeds, not low speeds. The findings link two risky behaviors – speeding and phone use – thereby increasing the risk of accidents and making law enforcement more difficult.
“Until now, safety experts believed that drivers used their cell phones most at slower speeds,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “But data from insurance companies’ safe driving apps show that, in flowing traffic, the opposite is true.” The analysis shows that when drivers exceed the speed limit, the amount of time they spend manipulating their phones increases. On limited access roads such as highways, phone handling increases by 12 percent for every 5 mph over the posted limit. On other roads, the increase was smaller – about 3 percent – but still measurable.
This pattern intensifies on faster roads. On a 70 mph highway, every 5 mph increase above the limit results in a larger spike in phone usage than on an 85 mph highway. “It is worrying that the link between mobile phone manipulation and speeding is strongest on roads with the highest speed limits,” said Ian Reagan. The researchers suggested several explanations, including risk-taking tendencies, stress during peak travel times, and drivers’ perception that high-speed roads with fewer distractions are “safer” for multitasking.
The study utilized nearly 600,000 trips logged by a smartphone-based telematics system. The app tracks phone speed, movement and interactions using GPS and onboard sensors, allowing researchers to isolate behavior during flowing traffic. By excluding time spent stopping or crawling, this analysis provides a clearer picture of how drivers behave when they have fewer pressing demands.
These findings have implications for law enforcement. Campaigns that address speeding and impaired driving separately may lose their overlap. The IIHS recommends a combined enforcement strategy, although practical limitations remain on highways where traditional surveillance is difficult. Technology such as automated safety cameras and insurance company-backed incentive programs may offer a partial solution. However, as Harkey says, “Driving at high speeds and distracted driving together is extremely dangerous,” and the data shows that this problem persists despite existing barriers.
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