Drivers talking on cell phones often enter a state of "inattention blindness" in which they fail to see up to 50 percent of what's ahead of them, according to a new report from the National Safety Council. The NSC once again makes the case against driving and using cell phones -- including those with hands-free devices -- this time backed by about 30 research studies. The NSC estimates that 25 percent of the U.S. crashes in 2008 involved cell phone use. "Driver distractions have joined alcohol and speeding as leading factors in fatal and serious injury crashes," the NSC said. The white … [Read more...]
Report: Urban areas best served by bans
February 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Bans on handheld phones do work, and they work best in urban areas, according to a university study of traffic fatalities and injuries. A University of Illinois team looked at New York state in the years before and after its 2001 ban on handheld cell phones. All 62 counties in New York recorded lower motor vehicle injury rates after the ban, while 46 posted lower traffic fatalities -- 10 of them at statistically significant levels. When looking at three major population centers -- the Bronx, New York and Queens -- the personal injury decrease was more notable than in less populated … [Read more...]
NSC talks tough on cell phone bans
January 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The National Safety Council wants a total ban on cell phone use while driving, regardless of whether a hands-free accessory is in the loop. The 94-year-old safety group made national headlines in mid-January with its cell phone-ban initiative, which recommends laws that are more restrictive than almost all of those under consideration or adopted by the states. Almost all legislation allows for hands-free cell phone use. "It's time to take the cell phone away," NSC president Janet Froetscher said. The NSC plans to lobby the individual states as well as private businesses. It has sent letters … [Read more...]
Cell phone safety: Bet you didn’t know …
January 1, 2009 by 4 Comments
Cell phone safety would seem largely a matter of common sense. Pay attention, watch the road and you’ll arrive safely. But researchers who have been studying cell phone-related accidents since the 1990s say there are some surprising ways in which wireless phones endanger drivers, passengers and pedestrians. For example, the simple act of talking on a cell phone actually decreases the quality of visual information received and processed by the brain. Talk more and you see less! State legislators are increasingly mandating hands-free cell phone use for drivers. Hands-free devices such as … [Read more...]
Drivers better off talking to passengers
December 2, 2008 by Leave a Comment
Cell phone calls are far more distracting to drivers than chats with their passengers, a new study finds. The results apply to hand-held phones as well as those equipped with hands-free devices such as wireless headphones. Researchers at the University of Utah examined the simulated driving patterns of 41 adults and their passenger friends, concluding that "the difference between a cell phone conversation and passenger conversation is due to the fact that the passenger is in the vehicle and knows what the traffic conditions are like, and they help the driver." Most of the study subjects were … [Read more...]
Recent Comments