A recent survey of 1,000 Capital Beltway drivers by Transurban-Fluor found 22 percent of respondents talked on hand-held cellphones this year, down from 33 percent last year and the lowest percentage in three years of research.

The number using their cellphones while driving decreased as well, falling to 66 percent compared to 81 percent in 2010. Nearly half said they had sent a text or answered a phone call while driving in the past week. One spokesperson affiliated with the survey responded to the data, saying Virginia needs stronger laws discouraging distracted driving.

This decline in cellphone use behind the wheel did not seem to extend to work-related calls and texts, which declined only 2 percent. About 48 percent of respondents indicated they responded to such communications in 2011, most saying they did so in order to multitask and save time. Nearly 60 percent said they answered because their employer expected an immediate response in 2010, compared to 18 percent this year.

Some claimed distracted driving awareness programs, such as the "Orange Cones. No Phones" initiative, achieved some success in reaching the region's drivers. If so, further efforts in that mold could improve safety and reduce regional auto insurance and related costs.