Much research has been done on the association between cellular telephone use and motor vehicle collisions. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, using cellular phones while driving quadruples the risk of a vehicle collision. It's no wonder. According to a new survey by Progressive Insurance, 46 percent of respondents report having swerved into another lane and 41 percent say they sped up while driving alone and talking on their cell phone. And, 11 percent of those who use a cell phone while driving alone report knowing someone who was involved in an accident that resulted from talking on a cellular phone. Progressive set out to define the typical cell phone user. A survey on progressive.com found that more than 90 percent of survey respondents use the cell phone while driving alone in their vehicles. Half of them (50 percent) of them are driving to and from work and more than three out of four -- 78 percent -- are talking with friends or families, not coworkers. In fact, almost a third -- 31 percent -- of people who use their cell phone while driving alone haven't used their cell phone for a work-related call in the past six months. In addition, 40 percent work outside the home between 41-50 hours a week and report that they wouldn't use a cell phone while driving alone if they had more time to take care of personal business (hence the calls to friends and family). "One of Progressive's goals is to provide consumers with insights about auto insurance and related subjects, from understanding coverage options to how rates are determined," said Toby Alfred, site manager for progressive.com. "Using a cell phone while driving sometimes leads to erratic behavior that all drivers need to know about." To pinpoint exactly who is driving while talking on their cell phone, the survey reveals the typical cell phone user drives alone and ... - More than half (61 percent) are men. - Seventy one percent are between the ages of 18 and 34. - They most often drive mid-size cars, followed by compact cars and SUVs. "Consumers need to know who is using the cell phone while driving and they need to know how to safely drive using a cellular phone," Alfred said. "Progressive has launched a new site, 'Info to Go,' on progressive.com that provides information that can help all drivers be safer on the roads." At progressive.com, consumers can access information regarding cell phone use such as tips for safe use of a cell phone while driving, state and federal legislative updates, an interview on the subject with a leading researcher from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), links to industry sites and information about how insurance rates are calculated. Some other interesting facts from the study include: - 23 percent of people who were talking on a cell phone while driving alone report having tailgated another vehicle - 21 percent have cut someone off; and - 18 percent nearly hit another vehicle. So Who Are They Really Talking To? Fifty (50) percent of those respondents who drive alone while talking on a cell phone are driving to and from work and 78 percent are talking with friends or family members, not coworkers. And 31 percent of respondents haven't used their cell phone for a work-related call in the past six months. Time Is Of The Essence Forty (40) percent of respondents who talk on their cell phone while driving alone work outside the home between 41-50 hours a week and 48 percent report that they wouldn't use the cell phone while driving if they had more time to take care of personal business. So What's The Profile? A majority (61) percent of the respondents who report driving alone and using the phone are men and 71 percent of phone-using drivers are between the ages of 18 and 34. Cell phone-using drivers most often drive mid-size cars, followed by compact cars and SUVs. Personal Emergencies Sixty (60) percent of those people surveyed said that they have not used their cell phones while driving alone for an emergency in the last six months, while 35 percent of people who have made over 30 personal calls in the last six months to friends and family while driving alone. Convenience ... But At What Price? More than half of all respondents (52 percent) said that the main reason they use a cell phone while driving alone is because it's the most convenient time for them to be on the phone. A Proven Distraction Of those respondents who drive alone while talking on their cell phone, 32 percent pay less attention to their driving when receiving bad news on a call -- and 43 percent say they speed up to get away from other drivers who are talking on their cell phone and driving erratically. Legal or No? Despite the number of people who use a cell phone while driving alone, 26 percent of respondents said that cell phone use while driving should be made illegal and 23 percent of respondents said that law enforcement should be able to pull people over solely for using their cell phone while driving. Six Degrees Of Separation Eleven (11) percent of respondents said they personally know someone who was in an accident that resulted from talking on a cell phone while driving. Workaholics Men were two times more likely than women to say they would not use a cell phone while driving alone if they had enough time to get their work done. Beware Of Your Neighbors Women were three times more likely to use their cell phone while driving alone through a neighborhood/residential area than high-traffic downtown areas. Run a Red Light Lately? Men were almost two times more likely than women to report running a red light while driving alone and talking on their cell phone. A Nightmare Commute Fifty percent (50) of all respondents who drive alone while using a cell phone are driving to and from work. Fifty-three (53) percent of men and 46 percent of women drive alone and use their cell phones while driving alone to and from work -- more than they used a cell phone while running errands or driving on the weekends. Not Always Business Related A whopping 91 percent of women and 69 percent of men said they speak to friends or family members most often via cell phone while driving alone. Getting Bad News And Driving - A Bad Combo Thirty-two (32) percent of respondents who talk on their cell phone while driving alone report paying less attention to driving when they receive bad news over the phone. Additionally, nine percent of men and seven percent of women driving alone said they speed when they receive bad news while talking on their cell phone. The Old 'Traffic' Excuse Forty-one (41) percent of people said that they would refrain from using their cell phone while driving alone if they were not stuck in traffic so often. Money with Privileges Twenty-six (26) percent of people with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000 use their cell phones most often while driving alone, more than any other income bracket. The Price Of A Phone Call Of those respondents who have talked on a cell phone while driving alone: * 46 percent have swerved into another lane * 41 percent have sped up * 23 percent have tailgated another car * 21 percent have cut someone off * 18 percent have nearly hit another car * 10 percent of people have run a red light Top Five Car Accessories of People who Talk on Their Cell Phone While Driving Alone 1. Tinted windows (52 percent) 2. Sunroof (40 percent) 3. Objects hanging from the rearview mirror (33 percent) 4. Spoiler (25 percent) 5. Vanity license plates (12 percent) Top Four Areas Driven In by People who Talk on Their Cell Phone While Driving Alone 1. Highways (69 percent) 2. Neighborhood/residential areas (24 percent) 3. Downtown areas (7 percent) 4. School areas (less than one percent) About Progressive Insurance Progressive Insurance, headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, is the nation's fourth largest auto insurance company. In business since 1937, the company sells its products over the phone at 1-800-AUTO-PRO(R), online at progressive.com and through more than 30,000 independent agencies throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.progressive.com.