Hands-free cell phones are not risk-free

With families and friends set to gather for the holidays, there’s no better time to ensure everyone arrives at their destinations safely. Most of us realize how dangerous it is to drink and drive, yet we do not yet apply the same thinking to using our phones while driving.

It’s time for that to change.

Most drivers understand looking at a phone long enough to write and send a text is dangerous. But these days, we don’t solve that problem by stopping; we just switch to voice messaging. In addition, more and more cars are now equipped for hands-free cellphone use. However, while a survey found four of five drivers believe hands-free cellphone use is safer, a National Safety Council study shows hands-free devices are no safer than hand-held ones.

As the Cape Gazette reported earlier this year, a 2013 AAA study found that as phone-related distractions increase and our brains work harder to respond, reaction time slows and brain function is compromised – regardless of whether the phone is handheld or hands-free. The study found drivers may fail to see signs or even pedestrians right in front of them; it’s a phenomenon known as inattention blindness.

As the study puts it, hands-free is not risk-free.

Despite this, hands-free technology is installed in new cars every day, and more and more drivers use it. Nearly 25 percent of young drivers, 18-20 years old – who are likely to have the highest rate of cellphone use – also report the highest rate of accidents and near accidents: the rate of accidents among young people is four times the rate of most other age groups.

Driving behavior has to change. It took time, but now most of us use our seat belts, and most of us have changed our views of drinking and driving. Now we have to stop using cellphones while we are driving.

Pledge to send messages and find your route before you start the car. It’s a small step that will help ensure everyone gets safely to their destinations.