Americans Divided on Airplane Cell Phone
Use, According to New BTS Special Report
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BTS 38-08
Dave Smallen
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Thursday, August 7, 2008 - Americans
are divided on whether cell phones should be allowed during flights, with people
age 65 and older more likely to oppose their use than those between 18 and 34,
according to a new Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) special report using
survey data on opinions about the transportation system.
BTS, a part of the U.S. Department
of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported
that four out of 10
U.S. residents (39.7 percent) responded in November 2007 that passengers should
definitely or probably be allowed to use cell phones if there were no interference
issues with aircraft communications systems. Slightly less than half (45.2
percent) said they definitely or probably should not be used. The remaining 15
percent said they weren’t sure.
The report uses data from BTS’
annual Omnibus Household Survey conducted in November 2006 and November
2007. The margin of error for the 2007
cell phone questions is 3.1 percent.
Younger respondents were most likely
to support cell phone use. In 2007,
almost half (47.7 percent) of respondents between 18 and 34 said passengers
should definitely or probably be allowed to use cell phones while fewer than
four out of 10 (36.1 percent) said they definitely or probably should not be
used. The remaining 16 percent said that they weren’t sure.
Among those over age 65, about one
out of four (26.6 percent) said passengers should definitely or probably be
allowed to use cell phones while more than half (56.7 percent) said they
definitely or probably should not be used. The remaining 17 percent said that
they weren’t sure.
The opinions of those aged 35-64
fell between those of the other groups. Four out of 10 (40.3 percent) said passengers should definitely or
probably be allowed to use cell phones while less than half (45.6 percent) said
they definitely or probably should not be used. The remaining 14 percent said
that they weren’t sure.
The special report, Opinions
on Cell Phone Use on Airplanes, Congestion, and Telecommuting—from the 2006 and
2007 Omnibus Household Survey, is available at http://www.bts.gov/publications/bts_special_report/2008_009/
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