Researchers from the University of Utah claim that using a cellphone while driving impairs drivers to the same degree as alcohol. Several states have laws enforcing the use of hands free devices while driving, but they only have a limited effect according to the study. A city in Kanas has proposed a complete ban (handsfree or not).
Three study participants rear-ended the simulated car in front of them. All were talking on cellphones and none was drunk, the researchers said. Motorists who talked on either handheld or hands-free cell phones drove slightly more slowly, were 9 percent slower to hit the brakes, and varied their speed more than undistracted drivers.
[via BuzzPatrol]
In the past 5 years I have been the victim of 2 seperate accidents, in different states and in both, the driver was on a cell phone! I was rear ended by a woman in a mercedes, and had a youngwoman in a little junkie car run a stop sign that caused me to t-bone her in my husbands brand new truck. She was also on a cell phone, and when her car came to a stop, was still talking! The witnesses were amazed! We have had to ban my octigianarian father from using his phone while driving because he has on more than one occasion almost come to a full stop while in the fast lane of the express way to answer his cell phone! this is nuts-has anyone done any kind of study on howmuch money it is costing this country for increased insurance rates due to an increased accident rate from people using a phone while driving. Multi-tasking has it's place, but not while on the road going 70 miles an hour! How many people have to die before someone decides these things are just as dangerous as DRIVE THRU Liquor Stores? (what an oxymoron). And the next thing is that these phone will allow drivers to watch videos! Just what people need to be doing while driving.