Caution: Driver doesn't give a shit--while on the phone

From : donquijote1954

Q: ramman@dodgecity.cc wrote ancientangler@hotmail.com writes it the hands free thing was shown to be a joke within a month of the law being passed in ny. npr interviewed some researcher from columbia university who did a very simple study. he put people in front of some sort of video simulator which measured reaction time or something and found that even wearing a headset with microphone a normal conversation was enough of a distraction to cause problems. it was significantly worse for women. is talking on a cell phone while operating a vehicle any more of a distraction than carrying on a conversation with the passenger sitting next to you in the same car yep usually more tying up your hand as well as your neurons. besides passengers may alert you to oncoming danger--if they arent prone to wandering themselves. ; cell phones and driving january 2006 in the united states over 200 million people used cell phones as of december 2005 compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990 according to the cellular telecommunications & internet association. increased reliance on cell phones has led to a rise in the number of people who use the devices while driving. there are two dangers associated with driving and cell phone use. first drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. second people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians. since the first law was passed in new york in 2001 banning hand-held cell phone use while driving there has been debate as to the exact nature and degree of hazard. at first safety experts focused on the problem as part of the larger one of driver distractions in general. these can include anything that reduces driver concentration on road hazards from drinking coffee to talking with another passenger. now there is increasing evidence that the dangers associated with cell-phone use outweigh those of other distractions. safety experts also acknowledge that the hazard posed by cell phone conversations is not eliminated and may even be increased by the use of hands-free sets. more... http//www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/ .