Do people use phones less with kids in the car?

Cellphones are an enormous distraction for drivers, leading to accidents quite frequently. Some have speculated that having kids in the car might push cellphone use down, and a study was carried out to see if parents would keep their phones in their pockets with children along for the ride.

They don’t. A full 80 percent said they used phones in one way or another while kids were in the car.

It is worth noting that usage did drop a little bit. Parents were slightly more likely to say they would “often, rarely, or never” have the phone in hand with kids than with adults. The odds came in at 0.66 when compared to how often they’d say “always” in those situations.

Parents were also asked about the use of blue tooth devices and how often they’d text or speak on the phone while in park. The study didn’t find any significant differences, no matter who was in the car.

The researchers who did the study said it showed a public health concern and asked for more studies to be done. They did admit that behaviors that distract drivers were a little bit less frequent with kids as passengers, but they expressed concern that these behaviors continued and did not decline more dramatically.

All told, many people who would think nothing of texting and driving alone would also do it with their children, perhaps showing that people don’t really grasp the danger. If one of these distracted drivers causes an accident and you are hurt, it’s important to know your legal rights to compensation.