Journal article
Community narratives on Facebook regarding mobile phone use while driving and road policing technologies
Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol.24(7), pp.592-598
2023
PMID: 37347145
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Objective: Mobile phone use while driving is a major cause of distraction and area for concern. Numerous factors have been shown to be associated with engagement in mobile phone use while driving, including peer influences and social media content encouraging the behavior. Phone detection cameras are being increasingly utilized to enforce the hand-held mobile phone use while driving ban in Australia, yet this has been accompanied by an emergence of camera location pages on social media platforms such as Facebook. Research is clearly needed to explore the nature and extent of this online content, since such information can be used to counteract any negative effects on enforcement.
Methods: Accordingly, this exploratory study analyzed content on Facebook pertaining to mobile phone use while driving, enforcement of the behavior and legal penalties associated with the behavior.
Results: A total of 167 public Facebook posts shared within Australia in January to October 2021 were examined. Overall, it was found that: (a) a large proportion (74%) of posts focused on the location of mobile phone cameras, (b) whilst most discussions centered around discouraging mobile phone use while driving, a large number also aimed to facilitate avoiding detection for the behavior. Finally, very few posts/comments acknowledged the risks associated with the behavior, including the risk of being caught.
Conclusions: This research provides preliminary evidence that social media platforms appear to provide an avenue to reduce the likelihood of apprehension. Avenues for future research are discussed.
Details
- Title
- Community narratives on Facebook regarding mobile phone use while driving and road policing technologies
- Authors
- Kayla Stefanidis (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationCarla Schiemer (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationJames Freeman (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationKate Mulgrew (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - PsychologyOscar Oviedo-Trespalacios (Author) - Delft University of TechnologyVerity Truelove (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research Collaboration
- Publication details
- Traffic Injury Prevention, Vol.24(7), pp.592-598
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis Inc.
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1080/15389588.2023.2224475
- ISSN
- 1538-957X
- PMID
- 37347145
- Copyright note
- This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Grant note
- Motor Accident Insurance Commission
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Cancer Research Cluster; School of Health - Psychology; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99735295602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
- Transportation
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