subject: Handsfree Driving [print this page] Handsfree Driving Handsfree Driving
Do you drink drive? Do you know people who do?
It has been long documented that the effects of alcohol in the blood are massive and that it is dangerous to drive when drunk, but a new report has revealed that using a hands free kit could be just as dangerous.
A study was carried out using forty participants at the University of Utah, where a third of the participants were asked to complete a series of tasks when talking on the hands free, the second third under the influence of alcohol and the thirst as a test group doing neither of the activities.
They were asked to drive in a simulator and follow the car in front, and then required to stop when the car in front did. Their reaction times were measured, and the conclusions were disastrous.
Drivers using the hands free kits were nine percent slower at reacting when it came to braking, and this has now led for top researchers in the field to call for a ban on the use of any mobile phone, whether hands free or not, in the car.
"Just like you put yourself and other people at risk when you drive drunk, you put yourself and others at risk when you use a cell phone and drive," said professor of psychology at the University of Utah David Strayer. "The level of impairment is very similar."
It's interesting that results for studies carried out with passengers in the car reveal that this is safer than talking on a hands free. This is because a passenger can see when the driver is distracted or be aware of situations around them that cause a need for a stop in the conversation. This is far more difficult when on the phone, as you cannot perceive what someone is doing.
If you are driving on the roads in the UK, it is an offence to use a mobile phone, but also to drive without Car Insurance . If you are caught you could received a driving ban and points on your licence. Shop online for Cheap Car Insurance to save you money.
