Mobile phones, driving and work: current debates and historical reflections

Along with the widespread growth and popularity of mobile telephony in Australia, the topic of mobile phone use while driving has surfaced as a prominent legal, social and public safety issue. The dangers have been highlighted in road safety research, yet despite studies clearly indicating the negative effect on driving performance and consequent legislation banning the practice, a large percentage of motorists still do it. This phenomenon has so far failed to receive much academic analysis. In turn, this paper draws on three sources of data to explore the ‘problem’ of mobiles and driving. Firstly, the story of Silvia Ciach, who drove into and killed a cyclist while composing a short text message, provides an illuminating case study. The circumstances surrounding the case, the court ruling, press coverage, public reaction and outcomes of the inquiry are examined to assess the legal and social implications of using a mobile while driving. Secondly, the intertwined and under-documented history of mobile telephony and its relationship to the automobile is considered. An exploration of the convergent and divergent histories of these two technologies sheds light on the current uses of mobile telephony. This is supplemented by several theoretical insights concerning the personalisation of the mobile phone (Wellman, 2001) and the promise of ‘perpetual contact’ (Katz & Aakhus, 2002b). Despite some limitations, these perspectives provide a useful framework for describing the patterns of mobile phone use in vehicles. Thirdly, as work-related calls are thought to constitute a high proportion of calls made while driving, the ways people use their mobile phones for communicating ‘at’ work are investigated. This paper informs the contemporary concern of mobile usage while driving, illustrating how it has created unresolved tensions and drawing attention to the legal and social issues