Many Georgia drivers are familiar with the public safety commercials about cellphone usage while driving. Many people pushed the use of hands-free devices to help keep drivers focus more on the road while talking on their cellphone. In reality, studies show that this method isn’t much better.
The truth of hands-free cellphone use
A personal injury lawyer can reveal that hands-free driving isn’t much safer than using a handheld device. In fact, drivers who use both handheld cellphones and hands-free devices are four times more likely to be involved in a crash when they’re on their cellphone than the average driver. One assessment showed that drivers who were on their hands-free cellphone failed to see up to 50% of the environmental information that was around them while they were driving.
It is still a cognitive distraction
One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about hands-free devices is that they limit the amount of distraction that cellphones cause. The reality is that talking on the cellphone causes a distraction. The person’s attention is taken away from the road as they are focusing on the conversation that they are having. Cognitive distractions are a big problem that causes a large percentage of motor vehicle accidents every single year.
The best way to fight vehicle accidents caused by talking on hands-free cell phone devices is to inform the public of the danger. Many people have a misconception about hands-free cellphone usage being better than handheld devices. The reality is that both are distracting and can lead to serious or even fatal car accidents.
Distracted driving is becoming a big problem throughout the entire country. As more drivers continue to participate in phone calls while driving, they put themselves and everybody else at risk around them.