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Cellphones and Driving

In the United States over 260 million people subscribed to such wireless communication devices as cellphones as of June 2008, compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.

Many studies have shown that using hand-held cellphones while driving can constitute a hazardous distraction. However, the theory that hands-free sets are safer has been challenged by the findings of several studies. A study from researchers at the University of Utah, published in the summer 2006 issue of Human Factors, the quarterly journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, concludes that talking on a cellphone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, even if the phone is a hands-free model. An earlier study by researchers at the university found that motorists who talked on hands-free cellphones were 18 percent slower in braking and took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked.

Insurance Information Institute

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/

Cell phones are wireless communication devices used by hundreds of millions of Americans (Insurance Information Institute).

It is clear that use of cell phones while driving increases the likelihood of accidents. According to University of Utah research, it is as much of a danger as driving while intoxicated. And that even includes use of hands-free phones (Insurance Information Institute).

University of Utah research showed that cell phone users braked and accelerated inconsistently.