Cell phones and driving slammed by new research
By: Drivers.com staff
Date: 2002-05-17
Several research studies all point to the same conclusion: "cellphone use is hazardous to drivers, and is perceived to be hazardous to drivers," said Mary Chipman, of the University of Toronto's public health sciences department. These reports, linking cellphone use by drivers to accident rates, were presented at the 2002 6th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Control held in Montreal.
One study by Transport Canada researchers found that even when in-vehicle devices are hands-free, "significant changes in driver behaviour may result due to the cognitive distraction associated with their use." According to the article by the CBC , the Laboratory on Transport Safety of the University of Montreal found cell phone users have a higher crash risk than non-users - period. A third study, by the Transportation Research Centre of Ohio, found that using hands-free phones led drivers to make more calls. To date, at least 14 countries have banned the use of phones while driving.
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