It seems like a lot of studies have come out lately showing pretty conclusively that cell phone use while driving is dangerous (hands-free or not). Hopefully this will renew efforts to ban the activity. From The Globe and Mail today:
Listening — not just talking — appears to have an impact on a driver's ability to navigate a vehicle safely, according to a new study on the impact of cellphone use behind the wheel.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois, found that drivers have a greater difficulty maintaining a fixed speed or keeping their vehicle safe in a lane when they performed tasks that simulated those of talking on a cellphone.
Surprisingly, researchers also discovered that both talking and listening were equally distracting.
Link: The Globe and Mail: Hear this study: cellphone listening distracts drivers.
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