Four High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Waves in Connecticut and New York Reduce Hand-Held Phone Use

Cosgrove, Linda; Chaudhary, Neil; Reagan, Ian · 2011 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This research note evaluates the effectiveness of high-visibility enforcement (HVE) campaigns in reducing distracted driving, specifically the use of hand-held cell phones and texting while driving. Motivated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) goal to test whether HVE models—previously successful for seat belt and speeding enforcement—could modify driver behavior regarding handheld devices, the study was conducted in Hartford, Connecticut, and Syracuse, New York. Both states had existing bans on hand-held phone use, but the demonstration aimed to determine if intensified enforcement and media campaigns could further reduce violations and increase perceived risk among drivers. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with four enforcement waves over one year (April 2010–April 2011). NHTSA provided $200,000 to each state, matched by state funds, to support enforcement and media efforts. The campaign utilized the slogan “Phone in One Hand, Ticket in the Other” across paid media (TV, radio, online) and earned media. Law enforcement strategies varied: Hartford used a “spotter” technique with stationary officers identifying violators for roving partners, while Syracuse relied on roving patrols. Evaluation involved before-and-after observations of driver behavior at traffic intersections and self-reported surveys at driver licensing offices. Control sites (Bridgeport/Stamford for Hartford; Albany for Syracuse) received no special media or enforcement focus, allowing researchers to isolate the program’s effects. Over 225,500 vehicles were observed, and more than 20,600 surveys were collected. Results indicated significant reductions in observed hand-held phone use in both intervention sites. In Hartford, the percentage of drivers holding phones to their ears dropped 57%, from 6.8% to 2.9%, compared to a smaller, non-significant drop in control sites. In Syracuse, hand-held use decreased 32%, from 3.7% to 2.5%. Observed phone manipulation (texting/dialing) also declined significantly in Hartford (from 3.9% to 1.1%) and Syracuse (from 2.8% to 1.9%). Self-reported data showed mixed results; while Syracuse drivers reported significant decreases in self-reported hand-held use and texting, Hartford drivers showed no significant change in self-reported frequency. However, public awareness of the campaign and perceived risk of citation increased substantially in both test sites, with Hartford respondents showing a jump in slogan recognition from 5% to 54%. The study concludes that high-visibility enforcement, coupled with targeted media messaging, effectively reduces observed distracted driving behaviors. The findings suggest that while laws alone may maintain baseline compliance, HVE campaigns drive rates lower by increasing the perceived certainty of punishment. The lack of a strong “ratcheting effect” (reversion to previous behavior levels between waves) suggests a potential shift in social norms regarding distracted driving. The report highlights that enforcement strategies must be tailored to local conditions and that visibility is key to deterring behavior. These results support the expansion of HVE models to address other traffic safety issues where observation of violations is challenging.

Key finding

High-visibility enforcement campaigns reduced observed hand-held cell phone use by 57% in Hartford and 32% in Syracuse over the course of one year.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 225500

Provenance

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Topics

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• distraction laws
• mobile phones
• seat belt use
• public messaging

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: policy recommendations, countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence