Mobile phone use among commercial drivers in Ghana: An important threat to road safety

Background: Ghana passed a law in 2012 banning the use of mobile phones while driving. However, data on compliance to the law has been lacking.Objective: To examine factors associated with mobile phone use while driving among Ghanaian commercial drivers.Methods: A survey was conducted among 627 commercial drivers (98.0% response rate). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to determine how a priori covariates influenced commercial drivers’ use of phones while driving. The covariates included driver age, education, driving route distance, driving under the influence (DUI), and knowledge that phone use during driving causes distraction.Results: Respondents were aware of the law (94.7%) but compliance was low (38%). Drivers who did not believe that cell phone use contributed to crash risk were more likely to report distracted driving (AOR 2.02,95%CI 1.05-3.9). Drivers who had completed primary (AOR 4.49,95%CI 1.14-17.78) or at least senior high school (AOR 6.89,95%CI 1.5-31.59) had increased odds of using the phone while driving, compared to those having no formal education. Drivers with 6-10 years (AOR 2.00,95%CI 1.00-3.98) or >10 years driving experience (AOR 2.87,95%CI 1.24-6.62) were more likely to report distracted driving compared to those with ≤5 years’ experience. Drivers who travelled longer distances were more likely to report distracted driving (AOR 2.41,95%CI 1.23-4.71). Those who had never engaged in DUI were less likely to use the phone while driving (AOR 0.06,95%CI 0.01-0.43).Conclusion: Future prevention efforts for distracted driving in Ghana will require targeted distracted driving enforcement and education for commercial drivers and their passengers. Funding: This study was funded, in part, by a grant (D43-TW007267) from the Fogarty International Center, US National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Keywords: Mobile phone, commercial drivers, Ghana, road safety, distracted driving