Home Page American Government Reference Desk Shopping Special Collections About Us Contribute



Escort, Inc.






GM Icons
By accessing/using The Crittenden Automotive Library/CarsAndRacingStuff.com, you signify your agreement with the Terms of Use on our Legal Information page. Our Privacy Policy is also available there.

NHTSA Reports Cellular Phone Use by Motorists Is on the Rise


American Government

NHTSA Reports Cellular Phone Use by Motorists Is on the Rise

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
March 1, 2005


NHTSA 04-05
Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Contact: Rae Tyson
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

More motorists than ever are using cellular phones while they drive, according to the latest survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In 2004, at any given daylight moment, an estimated 8 percent of all motorists in the U.S. , or about 1.2 million drivers, were using cellular phones (both hand-held and hands-free) while operating their vehicles. This compares to 6 percent in 2002 and 4 percent in 2000.

The survey also estimated that 5 percent of motorists in 2004, or about 800,000 drivers, were using hand-held cellular phones at any given daylight time, compared to 4 percent of drivers in 2002 and 3 percent in 2000.

The latest cellular phone use observations, conducted as part of the agency’s annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS), compared 2004 wireless phone use estimates with data collected in 2002 and 2000. The observational survey was conducted between June 7 and July 11, 2004, at 1,200 scientifically selected road sites across the country. In some instances, the roadside observational data were supplemented by NHTSA telephone surveys.

Among the latest findings:

Complete results of the latest cellular phone observational survey are available on the agency’s website at
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2005/809847.pdf.




The Crittenden Automotive Library