The influence of urbanicity and built environment on the frequency of distracted driving-related crashes: a multi-state comparison

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of different levels of urbanization, built environment, and socio-demographic features on the frequency of vehicle crashes associated with distracted driving (DD). Through a multi-state comparison, the statistical linkage between the frequency of crashes related to DD and the influential factors was examined using county-level data for the period 2013-2017 in six states in the U.S. The results show that the frequency (relative risk) of crashes caused by DD tends to be higher in certain built environments, such as areas with high population density, whereas it is relatively lower on freeways and areas of a high level of traffic intensity. In addition, the influence of contributing factors such as urbanicity and age cohorts on the relative risks of crashes appears to vary among different states as well as severity levels. Such a discrepancy may reflect differences in driving behaviours and levels of urbanization across states. These findings provide important policy implications for transportation planners and decision-makers to customize targeted policy considerations to improve transportation safety and public health in response to distracted driving. Highlights The effect of urbanicity on the risk of distraction-affected crashes was examined. Six states in the U.S. were considered for comparison. The influence of built environment reveals state-specific variability. The risks of distracted driving-related crashes differ across age cohorts. The study addresses several policy implications to improve transportation safety.