Psychosocial factors associated with the self-reported frequency of cell phone use while driving in Iran
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249827
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Summary
This study investigates the psychosocial factors and personality traits associated with the self-reported frequency of cell phone use while driving (CPWD) in Iran. The research was motivated by the high prevalence of road traffic injuries in Iran, where CPWD remains common despite legislative bans. While previous studies have examined the risks of distracted driving, there is a lack of research identifying the specific personal and social drivers of this behavior in the Iranian context. The study aimed to fill this gap by exploring how perceived benefits, risks, attitudes, support for legislation, and Big Five personality traits predict CPWD frequency. The researchers conducted a survey between March and December 2017 in Mashhad, Iran, collecting data from 255 drivers via online and paper-based methods. Participants were predominantly male (66.3%) with a mean age of 30.73 years. The survey assessed demographics, the frequency of various CPWD activities (calling, texting, internet use), and psychosocial variables using a questionnaire adapted from Sanbonmatsu et al. This included measures of perceived ability to drive safely while using a phone, perceived benefits and risks, attitudes toward self and others’ CPWD, and support for restrictive legislation. Additionally, participants completed the Persian adaptation of the NEO-FFI to measure Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Data were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression to determine associations between these factors and the frequency of CPWD, categorized from "Never" to "Always." The results indicated that CPWD is highly prevalent, with 93% of drivers reporting use at least once a week and 32.5% reporting they always use their phones while driving. Ordinal logistic regression revealed that several psychosocial factors were strongly associated with CPWD frequency. Specifically, the presence of a child passenger, driver age, perceived benefits of phone use, perceived risks, and the perceived ability to drive safely while using a phone significantly predicted usage frequency. Regarding personality traits, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were significant predictors of CPWD frequency in this sample. The study highlights that drivers often perceive themselves as capable of multitasking safely, which correlates with higher usage rates, despite the known risks. The findings underscore the complexity of CPWD behavior, suggesting that it is driven not only by personality traits but also by cognitive biases regarding safety and perceived utility. The high prevalence of CPWD in Iran, despite legal prohibitions, indicates that current legislative measures may be insufficient without addressing underlying psychosocial factors. The study contributes to the field by providing empirical evidence on the specific predictors of distracted driving in a middle-income country, offering insights for policymakers and road safety experts aiming to design more effective interventions. By identifying that perceived benefits and overconfidence in driving ability are key drivers, the research suggests that awareness campaigns should target these specific misconceptions rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-26 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-25 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 6 | 2026-06-25 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence