You might not be surprised to find out that a recent study from the University of Utah found that driving while using a cell phone can be a major road hazard! A spokesman for the study compared the distraction of using a cell phone while driving with the impairments associated with driving drunk.
The University of Utah study tested the driving skills of 40 different people (25 men and 15 women) on a driving simulator under four different conditions:
- No distractions
- Talking on a hand-held cell phone about a favorite subject
- Talking on a headset/hands-free cell phone about a favorite subject
- With a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08%
Keep in mind that driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is illegal in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The participants were all between the ages of 22 and 34, and had good eyesight, a valid drivers’ license, and an average of eight years of driving experience. More than three-quarters of the drivers owned a cell phone, and most of those people said they had used their phone while driving before. They did not have to dial or answer the phone while driving, but spoke with a research assistant about a favorite topic.
Drivers on the phone — either hands-free or hand held — were more likely to rear-end the car ahead of them than when they were driving without distractions. Drivers on the phone were also slower to brake and slower to accelerate again after braking. Most of the participants did NOT realize their driving was worse while on the phone!
The study saw little to no difference between using a hands-free cell phone and holding the phone while driving. The University of Utah team concluded that it might be the conversation that is the biggest distraction — not the type of phone. For the best road safety, they suggest not using a cell phone at all while driving.