Cell Phones: The Good, The Bad, And The Useful

The Good:

When you're lost or in trouble, nothing helps you get out of a jam like a cell phone. There are now more than 147 million registered phones in the US, and according to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association mobile phone users make nearly 156,000 emergency calls every day.

The Bad:

There's increasing pressure on cell phone users to shut up and hang up in the interest of traffic safety. Research suggests that participating in a conversation, whether on a cell phone or with a passenger, can take attention away from the road, especially if it is complex, long, or emotional.

As a result of two fatal crashes involving cell phone use, the National Transportation Safety Board recently issued a series of recommendations about distraction and driving, aimed at motorists. The proposed changes include:

• Restricting phone use by new and inexperienced drivers.
• Adding driver distraction codes to crash reporting forms, including codes for interactive wireless communication device use
• Recommending that The Advertising Council, Inc. work with NHTSA to develop a media campaign about the dangers of distracted driving.
• Suggesting that the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association work with NHTSA to create a driver education curriculum that focuses on the risks associated with distracted driving.

These recommendations stem from a fatal crash in which a driver on the Washington, DC Beltway was distracted by use of a cell phone, as well as several other factors, and killed five people.

The Useful:

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are trying to ease traffic congestion by using cell phones. No, that doesn't mean placing calls. Instead, investigators are looking at ways to measure traffic flow and velocity by sensing the time it takes motorists' phone signals to move from one tower to the next. Phones don't have to be in use, since any working cell phone will automatically search for the nearest antenna and be connected to that signal while it is within range.

The goal is to reduce congestion and air pollution while improving traffic flow. By gauging the speed of traffic it could be possible to divert vehicles to alternate routes thus allowing faster travel for everyone. The investigators will also place cameras to spot problems and traffic incidents that can slow traffic.

Using cell phone data offers a new and inexpensive way to track vehicles' progress. (The data are collected in the aggregate, so no specific cell phones are identified.) With so many cell phones on the road the data should be strong enough to give a real-time picture of traffic speeds, and the analysis program can also filter out cell phone signals from pedestrians and other sources that are not part of the traffic mix.

Bill Knee, the researcher behind the project, will test the accuracy of the cell phone data by sending out "probe" cars with global positioning systems on them. The data from these cars will be compared with the cell phone data in order to determine if the system works as expected. Knee's project will take place in Tennessee, with a similar effort planned for Virginia.

"Traditionally they would put out a sensor and maintain it," Knee says. Instead, he says, "the idea is, 'are there technologies we can utilize now that are more cost-effective in doing traffic management?' If [this project] is something that can be proven it can revolutionize the way traffic management data is collected."

A newspaper report of the project can be found at:
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/science/article/0,1406,KNS_9116_2022201,00.html