Abstract

Background: The use of mobile phones has increased dramatically among drivers in all over the world in the past few years. The primary objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of cell phone use while driving in Saudi Arabia and to find whether there is a relationship between car accidents and the use of mobile phones while driving. The secondary objective was to explore general knowledge and attitudes toward traffic regulations related to cell phone usage while driving.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 585 drivers in Saudi Arabia using a self-reported online survey distributed through social media channels.
Results: Our results showed that 78.6% of the participants acknowledged that they use the phone while driving. The percentage who reported car accidents involving them or their friends or relatives while using the phone while driving was 43.8%, along with 71.8% mentioning near misses. The percentage of respondents who thought that using a mobile phone while driving had a strong impact on the driver’s ability to drive was 31.5%.
Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of raising awareness about risks of using mobile phones during driving in Saudi Arabia and it is recommended to implement harsher penalties to reduce the use of mobile phones while driving.

Key words: Mobile phones, awareness, driving, Saudi Arabia.