Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,455

Website

Hands-free cellphones just as dangerous as handheld cellphones

Many folks know that handheld cellphone use while driving is about as dangerous as driving drunk, but what most don't know is that hand-free phones are no better.  Numerous studies show that they're just as dangerous as handheld phones.  The problem with phones isn't that they tie up your hands, it's that they tie up your mind.

http://bicycleuniverse.info/cars/cellphones.html

What galls me is when I call someone and I notice (or they tell me) that they're driving, and I ask them to call me back when they're not driving, and they shoot back, "It's okay, it's Bluetooth," and I tell them I still prefer not to talk to them while they're driving, and they CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT IT'S OKAY.

I just hung up on a potential contractor for my home remodel today for that reason.  Also, if he wouldn't listen to me when I told him my preference about not talking to him while he's driving, I couldn't expect that he'd listen to me about my preferences regarding the construction, either.

Darron

Member

Registered: 2014-05-22

Posts: 131

Re: Hands-free cellphones just as dangerous as handheld cellphones

In addition to what you cited in your article, there was a Mythbusters episode that tested this and found the same issue that people can't concentrate on a conversation and drive well at the same time.  Where I work it is against company policy to drive and talk on a phone (even hands-free) at the same time.  If someone calls you, even if it's the CEO or your most improtant customer, you don't pick up while driving FULL STOP (no pun intended).

Darron

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,455

Website

Re: Hands-free cellphones just as dangerous as handheld cellphones

I looked up that Mythbusters report and found some interesting things.  First, I found many more studies concluding that hands-free cellphone use is just as dangerous as handheld, and I added those to the page on the topic on BicycleUniverse.  But I also came across charts showing that traffic crashes and fatalities have been falling even as cellphone use has been rising.  Granted, traffic deaths were falling even before cellphone use started, but if cellphone use were just as dangerous as drunk driving (hands-free or not), we should expect to see a bloodbath.  We didn't.  Hmm...