Using camera systems to detect mobile phone use behind the wheel

The use of mobile phones while driving is a serious traffic safety issue. The aim of this work was to identify the number of traffic accidents caused by mobile phone use, to propose a prevention model and to verify its effectiveness in traffic. Content analysis of secondary data, descriptive statistics, calculation of year-to-year indices, regression analysis and modelling of economic impact of accidents were used for the analysis. The research found that there was no statistically significant relationship between the number of smartphones and the number of traffic accidents, yet between 122 and 173 phone-related accidents were recorded each year. The proposed prevention model combining camera systems, legislative measures and technological detection features shows potential to reduce these accidents. Research is limited by the geographical focus on one area and the fact that the impact of the phone on an accident is not always obvious. Further research should include deeper analysis of human behaviour and wider spatial and temporal coverage.