Banning phone use while driving a
By: Drivers.com staff
Date: 2001-05-29
Canada's top medical journal is calling for laws restricting the use of phones while driving, arguing it is a "no-brainer" that using one behind the wheel is risky. According to the National Post , the Canadian Medical Association Journal calls for the ban in an editorial published today. "Computers, fax machines, and DVD screens are also starting to clamour for dashboard space. We need to regulate the use of cell phones and other driver-distracting devices. This is a no-brainer." The journal points to Redelmeier and Tibshirani, the authors of an influential study conducted in 1997 at the University of Toronto, who recently added a caveat to their previous research. If enough of the drivers who refused to participate in the research did so because of a fear of being "caught" using their mobile phones dangerously, then the original report may have underestimated the risk by as much as 10 times. Driving while using a phone "may be as high as a fortyfold increase in risk."
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