Psychologists at the University of Utah have published a study claiming that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free mobile phones are as dangerous as drunken drivers.
Researchers at the University of Utah conducted an experiment with 40 participants who each carried out a driving simulation four times, once with no distractions, once while talking on a conventional phone, once using a hands-free and once while under the influence of alcohol to a legal limit.
Three drivers rear-ended their simulated cars while talking on their mobile phone, while those under the influence of alcohol managed to keep control, the study reported.
Those using mobile phones and hands free kits were found to drive more slowly and were nine per cent slower to apply brake pressure and varied their speed much more than drivers with no external distractions.
"What distracts people when talking on a cell phone is the conversation, not holding the phone," University of Utah's assistant professor of psychology Frank Drews said.
Frank Drews told Reuters, "If legislators really want to address driver distraction, then they should consider outlawing cell phone use while driving.
"Driving while talking on a mobile phone is as bad as or maybe worse than driving drunk."
Researchers found that like many people who have been drinking, the cell phone users did not believe themselves to be affected.
Meanwhile, people who talk on cell phones while driving don't have to wait for it to be illegal to recognise that it's hazardous and not just for themselves.
Responsible people don't drive while drunk. In light of a growing body of research, they shouldn't drive while talking on a cell phone, either.
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