Are those prone to driving-while-texting more likely to be caught reoffending?

Two recent and extreme cases of Canadian drivers caught playing with their cellphones underline an apparent truth that even though someone knows distracted driving is bad, doesn’t mean they are any closer to stopping.

The prevalence of distracted driving has become a well-covered issue on Canadian streets and highways. Recent Canadian studies suggest distracted driving is more commonly involved in fatal or injurious accidents, a U.S. report found that phones were involved in one-fifth of all auto accidents and doctors are even describing it as a significant health concern.

But it also appears that those who are prone to the habit could be more likely to repeat it.

Vancouver Police reported on Tuesday that a local man has received 26 violation tickets for distracted driving, specifically texting while driving, since 2010.

The man had his license suspended in February and was caught again on March 30. According to police, he was arrested for driving while prohibited and had his car impounded for a week.

“There are some drivers who are still not getting the message that distracted drivers are putting everyone’s safety at risk,” Insp. Les Yeo said in a statement.

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In Ontario, the Hamilton Spectator reported this week that a Guelph, Ont., woman was caught texting while driving twice within a 30-minute period, once while driving on Ontario's busy Highway 401 at about 5:45 a.m. and again on a local highway in the Hamilton area shortly after.

The woman was issued two tickets worth a combined $560.

Ontario recently increased the cost of their distracted driving fines and debate continues about whether to increase them further and subject the offence to demerit points.

There did not appear to be much Canadian-based information about the prevalence of habitually texting and driving.

But two recent U.S. studies have dug into the question and paint a picture of those more prone to the practice. A 2012 study from the American Automobile Association suggests that drivers, specifically teenaged drivers, who are prone to distracted driving tend to repeat the offence.

In a study of 52 teenaged drivers, 12 per cent were recorded using an electronic device in more than 15 per cent of the recorded instances behind the wheel.

On the other hand, 17 per cent of those drivers were never spotted using a cellphone or other device while driving.

The size of the study was admittedly small, but its depth is notable. The drivers were observed for six months without intervention. The study also suggested that female test cases were twice as likely as males to use an electronic device while driving.

[ Related: Toronto’s ‘Hobocop’ tactic a sneaky yet smart way to catch distracted drivers ]

A separate survey by the U.S. Department of Transportation suggests those most prone to distracted driving are those whose frequency behind the wheel are at the two extremes - those who either drive every day or drive only a few days of the year.

Those in the highest income brackets are also more prone to distracted driving. More than half of those who earn more than $150,000 per year were found to be prone to distracted driving.

In this survey, the definition of distracted driving expands beyond the use of electronic devices, though that lies at the heart of the question.

Nearly 60 per cent of the 6,016 survey respondents admitted to answering the phone while they drive, with 28 per cent saying they either always or almost always answer the phone while driving.

By most accounts, it would seem like those who drive while distracted are more likely to repeat the offence. Which places a greater emphasis on police tactics such as this recent "Hobocop" approach, which was intended to spot distracted drivers before they had a chance to hide their cellphones.

Just because they know what they are doing is wrong, doesn't mean they are any closer to stopping.

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