Economic analysis of cell phone restrictions while driving

Cohen, J.T. And J. Graham (2003). "A Revised Economic Analysis of Restrictions

on the Use of Cell Phones While Driving." Risk Analysis 23(1): 5-17.

This review and analysis was published in the peer-reviewed professional journal Risk Analysis in connection with the issue of legislative restrictions on cell phone use by drivers. It was intended to review two major prior studies about the relative risks, costs, and benefits of cell phone use by drivers. One prior study had determined that the aggregate costs to society of the harms attributable to cell phone use by drivers amounted to approximately $25 billion annually. A subsequent study determined that the net cost after considering all of the benefits of cell phone use to society (such as business productivity) was approximately zero. This review analyzed the different methodologies relied upon in those two earlier studies and concluded that the types of harms are more important than the raw economic data. Most importantly, the economic and other harms associated with cell phone use by drivers are borne by parties who do not benefit from the cell phone use. Therefore, it recommends legislative restrictions irrespective of strictly economic factors.

Hennessy, D.A. And Wiesenthal, D.L. (2005). Contemporary Issues in Road User

Behavior and Traffic Safety. Toronto: Nova.

This source is a trade book authored by two professors of Public Health: Dwight Hennessy of the State University of New York at Buffalo and David Wiesenthal of York University in Toronto. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of all behaviors related driver behavior, particularly in relation to safety. It details issues such as unsafe assumptions about safe following distances and signaling, drivers' beliefs about their abilities relative to other drivers, and various behaviors by drivers that impact detrimentally on safety.