Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

[Piasabird]

Drivers are four times more likely to have a crash if they are talking on their mobile phones, researchers have found.

And hands-free devices are no safer as they can still distract the motorist and raise the risk of an accident.

Researchers at the University of Sydney warn that if advances in technology increase mobile phone use in cars, the dangers could also go up.

Their study is published by the British Medical Journal today.

The team interviewed 456 drivers who owned mobile phones and had ended up in hospital after a crash.

All the accidents happened in Perth, Western Australia, where it has been illegal since 2001 to use a hand-held phone while driving.

They interviewed the drivers in hospital, where they were recovering from cuts, bruises, sprains, fractures and spine injuries.

The researchers then looked at the drivers' phone records immediately before each crash happened, and compared these with their phone records during trips at the same time of day, 24 hours, 72 hours and seven days earlier.

They found that 40 of the drivers - almost ten per cent - were on the phone in the ten minutes before the crash. In the earlier 'control' periods, only three per cent had been using their phones. By comparing the crash period and these 'control periods', they found that using a mobile phone increased the risk of crashing four-fold.

Those using hands-free sets had a 3.8 higher chance of an accident, while those using handheld phones had a 4.9 raised risk.

The gender of the drivers, the age and model of the vehicles and the type of phones they used did not affect the results.

And the story is continued here...........

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1770

[tickletussler]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

Yeah I saw this on the news tonight, but the thing I'm wondering is... ok, I can understand holding a mobile while you're driving isn't safe because only one had is on the wheel and your mind is elsewhere so you don't have 2 hands to react.

But if you have a hands-free device or even a blue tooth cordless ear-piece, and they consider this as increasing the chances of crashing... then does that mean ALL drivers shouldn't be talking to the other passengers in the car?
Or even listen to talk-back radio for that matter?
Or what about listening to music lyrics?

What I'm saying is talking on the phone hands-free different to having a conversation with another passenger in the car or being involved in a discussion on talk-back radio? Your mind is still elsewhere and you're not concentrating on your driving just like you're talking hands-free on the mobile...

There is talk of banning these hands-free devices but how on earth are they going to police this? Are they gonna fine all drivers who are talking to someone in the car? Talking to themselves or to the radio?

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

Well I don't know why, but it seems that even the hands free devices are more distracting than talking to a passenger for most people. There are some drivers that just plain can't drive no matter what so I guess its kinda hard to tell why.

Personally I wish they'd ban talking on the phone in any manner while driving! Good grief, we survived w/o having mobiles at all for centuries, now all the sudden people can't go one second w/o having a phone glued to their ear? I see people all the time that can't even walk their friggin dog w/o yakking on their cell.

I know I know, sounds like a personal problem, cell phones just annoy the crap outta me.

[tickletussler]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

I agree with you Moggy and while we're on the subject of mobile phones...

It really irks me when people have NO mobile phone etiquette

for example we have a Thai friend who will answer a mobile phone:
- (even if it's just from any friend who can wait) during dinner out together - personally I find it very rude, I mean if we were eating at their house they wouldn't normally answer their home phone during our meal together.
- and cannot understand why we don't answer our mobile while we're sitting with our solicitor
- in a cinema
- on the toilet
- while she is talking to another person on her home phone AND make them wait even when they called HER on their mobile phone!!!!!

Drives me nuts how with the world of mobile phones/cellulars many people suddenly forgot their etiquette.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

I'm with ya Tickle. Heck, Most of the time when my phone rings I don't answer it even if I'm sitting around by myself doing nothing, I hate phones in general, I just hate mobiles more because people take them everywhere, Maybe they should have them surgically implanted in their heads for convenience? LOL

I also hate when people talk on them in the elevator and in the lobby of our office building, our office is on the second floor and its open like a loft, when people talk on their cells downstairs they always seem to be yelling and it echos like you wouldn't believe up here. Funny thing is, sometimes they are having conversations that should be considered very private but they are broadcasting them for everyone on 2 floors of an office building to hear!

[tickletussler]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'



Right, Right, Right and Right again!!!

for some reason people think that just because they can't hear someone so well on their mobiles (because they are sitting on a bus or a train), they think they have to yell back!!!!!!!!!!!!
Usually on buses or trains I purposely lower my voice if I have to answer the phone and the other person hears me just fine.

With the arrival of mobiles in this world, it's like suddenly everyone's wearing their knickers on the outside of their clothes! LOL

My favourite use of the mobile is its purpose as a portable answering machine... I can screen all the people I don't want to talk to and I can choose when to speak to them! YAY for that!

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

AMEN Sista!

[apollo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

i see evidence daily of drivers that are too distracted by cellular phones .. i dont think talking to your passengers is even the same thing , a phone pressed to your ear , or even a mic and earpiece attatched to you with someone consistently blabbing into your ear and you responding will distract pretty much any driver .. music can be pretty much 'tuned out' , by a mindful driver .. in nyc cell phones arent allowed to be used while driving unless theres a handsfree kit of some sort being used

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

i see evidence daily of drivers that are too distracted by cellular phones .. i dont think talking to your passengers is even the same thing , a phone pressed to your ear , or even a mic and earpiece attatched to you with someone consistently blabbing into your ear and you responding will distract pretty much any driver .. music can be pretty much 'tuned out' , by a mindful driver .. in nyc cell phones arent allowed to be used while driving unless theres a handsfree kit of some sort being used

I SO wish they'd pass that law here.

[Piasabird]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

in nyc cell phones arent allowed to be used while driving unless theres a handsfree kit of some sort being used

From the above article .............

And hands-free devices are no safer as they can still distract the motorist and raise the risk of an accident.

Just what we need. Another law for something that doesn't seem to matter anyway.

[apollo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

piasa , did i say the law was that effective?

[Piasabird]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

piasa , did i say the law was that effective?

Nope, you didn't.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: Car phone users 'four times more likely to crash'

At least its a step in the right direction IMO.