Hands-free phones affect driving

New US research has cast doubts on the safety of using hands-free mobile phones at the wheel.

The University of Utah found 97.5% of people can't talk on a hands-free set without it affecting their driving.

With many people driving around assuming hands-free is safe, bumps and and scrapes are more likely, making a good car insurance deal a must.

Only 2.5% of the participants could talk on their mobile phone while operating a driving simulator without noticeable impairment - this minority are known as 'supertaskers'.

Drivers on hands-free mobile phones took 20% longer to hit the brakes when needed and following distances increased 30% as the drivers failed to keep pace with simulated traffic. Memory performance declined 11%, and the ability to do maths problems fell by 3%.

Jason Watson, who co-conducted the study, said: "Given the number of individuals who routinely talk on the phone while driving, one would have hoped that there would be a greater percentage of supertaskers. And while we'd probably all like to think we are the exception to the rule, the odds are overwhelmingly against it. In fact, the odds of being a supertasker are about as good as your chances of flipping a coin and getting five heads in a row."

Ellen Booth, Campaigns Officer for Brake, said: "The evidence is overwhelming. Using a hands-free or handheld phone while driving is dangerous, full stop. It's time that our politicians took note and put an end to the ridiculous situation where using a hand-held mobile is banned, but using hands-free isn't."

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