Background Memo  

This study was conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind and co-sponsored by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The survey was conducted by telephone from April 28 through June 1 using a randomly selected sample of 951 New Jersey residents aged 17 and over who report they drive regularly, including an oversample of drivers under the age of 30. The sampling error for 951 randomly selected respondents in a statewide survey is +/-3 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. All interviews were conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system.  Random selection is obtained through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a land-line phone number an equal chance of being selected, including those with unlisted numbers. Results may be weighted to match known demographics. A complete questionnaire, all tables, and descriptive narrative will be made available in the document: 2009 Survey of Driver Attitudes and Behavior: Summary of Findings.

Question: In the past three years have you personally, sent a text message while driving?

Question: In the past three years have you personally, made a rude gesture at another driver?

Question: Now let me ask about driving and cell phones. How often do you personally drive your car and at the same time hold your cellphone and talk into it?

Question: As you probably know, police in New Jersey can stop and ticket drivers just for talking on a hand-held phone. Do you support or oppose this law?

Question:  When it comes to enforcing this law against holding a cell phone and driving, do you think police should enforce this more strictly than they do, or not?

Question:  When you're driving on a New Jersey highway, how often would you say you drive over 65 miles an hour?

• Most of the time
• Often
• Just once in a while
• Never

Question: And how often would you say that you drive 75 miles an hour or more?

• Most of the time
• Often
• Just once in a while
• Never

Question: The posted speed limit is 65 on most hightways in New Jersey, but what would you say is the actual speed limit -- the speed at which you can go on a New Jersey highway without getting a speeding ticket.

• 65 to 69
• 70 to 74
• 75 to 79
• 80 to 85
• 85 plus

Question: In the past three years have you personally, driven after drinking alcohol?

Question: And thinking about yourself and drinking alcohol, in general how many drinks can you have -- personally -- and still be O.K. to drive?

• Zero/None
• One
• Two
• Three
• Four
• Five or More
• Never Drink

Question: How would you rate your own driving skills compared to most other drivers on the road? Would you say that your skills are ...

• Above average
• Just average
• Below average

Question: How would you rate your spouse's driving skills?

• Above average
• Just average
• Below average

Question: And would you say your spouse is a better or worse driver than you?

• Better
• About the same
• Worse

Question: Thinking about drivers from the states around us, which state would you say has the worst drivers?

• Pennsylvania
• Maryland
• Delaware
• New York
• Connecticut
• New Jersey

Question: Do you think that driving and talking on a hand-held phone is more or less dangerous than driving and using a hands-free phone?

• More dangerous
• Less dangerous
• Same

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results