Hands-free phones NOT safer in cars
Drivers using a hands-free kit to make phone calls are more dangerous than those who hold a mobile, scientists claim.
Researchers found that while people are able to drive better when using a handsfree headset, they often do not, because they think hands-free means safer.
This means hands-free drivers are often more dangerous than those holding a phone to their head - who as a result of perceived danger tend to drive slower and be more careful.
“People tend to be over confident with hands-free and drive faster. They’re thinking, ‘I’m OK because I’ve got on the headgear,” explains Yoko Ishigami, a PHD student at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia.
“Whereas if they were driving with a hand-held phone, they tend to drive slower.”
Ishigami, who surveyed current scientific research on cellphone use, recently presented her review paper on the topic at the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals.
“Talking and listening are such complicated tasks, especially if you’re thinking ahead to what you’re going to say,” says Ishigami, an international student from Shizuoka, Japan. “The conversation is what takes all your attention.”
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