Driver Distraction (Case Study)Ford: Driver Distraction (Case Study)Ford: Driver Distraction (Case Study)Over the past two decades, cellular phones have gone from clunky novelties to ubiquitous must-haves. Wireless subscriptions in the United States have grown from about 28 million in 1995 to about 270 million by 2009 a whopping 960 percent increase. The public has become accustomed to using cell phones everywhere at home, on the street, in restaurants, at the office, while shopping and of most interest to Ford's safety researchers while driving.

The ubiquity of cell phones coupled with the proliferation of portable music players in vehicles has heightened concerns about driver distraction. We at Ford agree that this is an important safety issue and we have taken steps to address it. We also believe that continued research is needed to better understand the complex interactions involved in this issue and we are participating in that research.