A preliminary study of sexual activity as a distraction for young drivers

• Published in: Accident analysis and prevention 2014-10, Vol.71, p.120-128
• Main Authors: Struckman-Johnson, Cindy, Gaster, Samuel, Struckman-Johnson, Dave
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Attention; Attitude; Automobile Driving - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Crashes; Distracted driving; Female; Females; Humans; Male; Males; Medical sciences; Men; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; On-line systems; Passengers; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Risk-Taking; Sex; Sex while driving; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Students; United States; Young Adult; Young drivers
• ISSN: 0001-4575; 1879-2057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2014.04.013

•This is one of the first studies of sex while driving (SWD) as an in-vehicular distraction.•Of over 700 college students surveyed, 33% of men and 9% of women had engaged in SWD.•Of over 700 college students surveyed, 9% of men and 29% of women had engaged in SWD as a passenger.•In recent SWD incidents, 19% of drivers were speeding and 9% were drinking or high.•In lifetime SWD incidents, 38% of drivers had speeded, 36% had lane drifted, and 11% had let go of the steering wheel. In what may be the first in-depth study of sexual activity as a driving distraction in the US, a sample of 195 male and 511 female college students at a Midwestern university (M age=19.7) participated in an on-line study of sex while driving (SWD). Of these, 64 (32.8%) men and 47 (9.3%) women had engaged in sex while driving (SWD). Nine percent of men and 29% of women had engaged in SWD as a passenger. In most recent SWD incidents, respondents reported that the two most common acts were oral sex (70.3%) and genital touching (60.4%). About 11% engaged in vaginal intercourse. Sexual activity lasted from 1 to 10min for 42.7% of the respondents. Nearly half (49.1%) were traveling 61–80mph during sex. Considering respondents’ lifetime incidents of SWD, the most common driving errors reported were speeding (37.8%), drifting into another lane (36%), and letting go of the steering wheel (10.8%). Only 1.8% nearly had a crash, and none actually had a crash. Separate regression analyses for male and female respondents revealed that lower intentions to engage in SWD in the future were associated with higher estimates of the probability of a car crash. The authors consider SWD to be an under-reported in-vehicle distraction and encourage more research and prevention efforts.