Think hands-free laws make for safer drivers? Think again

Hands-free driving laws are now in effect in B.C., Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Drivers can only use a mobile phone with headset or an in-car speaker kit. These allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes (mostly) on the road. The laws also typically regulate other digital devices such as iPods and GPS units. These rules kicked in most recently in Ontario in October 2009 and in B.C. on Jan. 1.

More than 50 countries worldwide have initiated similar bans, and in the U.S. eight states have bans and 18 have partial restrictions.

And a look at some numbers shows why these laws are popping up. The National Safety Council reported in January that 28 per cent of traffic accidents occur while people are talking on cellphones or sending text messages. Cellphone conversations cause 1.4 million crashes annually in the U.S., with an additional 200,000 blamed on text messaging.

And here’s a stunning fact: the response time of drivers on a cell is equal to that of a drunk driver with 0.08 per cent blood alcohol, according to University of Utah psychology professor David Strayer.

Even with all that, cellphone use while driving is widespread in North America: 98 per cent of Americans believe they are safe drivers, according to a Nationwide Insurance study, yet 81 per cent admit to using a cellphone while driving, and 45 per cent have been hit or nearly hit by another driver using a cellphone. North Americans are clearly addicted to using their mobile phones. Addictions often keep you unaware of the danger posed.

Unsafe with any device
So the answer would seem to be to outlaw the use of hand-held devices while driving. If only it were that easy: research shows that hands-free devices do not eliminate the risks.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testified in The House of Representatives in November that the risk of crashing was four times higher when a driver was talking on either a handheld or hands-free phone. The group added that preliminary data from insurance claims suggest there has been no reduction in crash risk after states enacted bans on hand-held devices.

In response, the U.S. National Safety Council has called for a complete ban on cellphone use while driving.

A hands-free law only solves the problem of the physical distraction of the cellphone, not the mental distraction. In particular, people who have emotional conversations on the phone are more distracted and therefore more at risk.

And texting is the worst
Studies show texting holds the highest degree of risk of all cellphone-related activities, because it pulls the driver’s eyes from the road. Strayer, for example, spent a decade studying driver distraction by using a small camera to track subjects’ eye movements. His findings are alarming: texting drivers regularly focus on their screens for stretches of more than five seconds. Taking your eyes off the road for five seconds at 110 km/h means you’ve traveled more than 150 metres without paying attention. Younger drivers are the most likely to be texting while driving.

The Ontario Provincial Police issued 1,109 warnings and 22 tickets in November. But drivers will only start changing their behaviour once fines are the norm, a practice that began on Feb. 1.

Ontario roads are safer as a result of this new law because texting—the biggest danger—is illegal. But with cellphone calls not even hands-free devices improve driver safety. The only way to decrease road accidents is abstinence.

Jim Harris is the author of Blindsided, a number one international bestseller published in 80 countries. Jim is sought after as a speaker at conferences and seminars around the world. E-mail him at jimh@jimharris.com.