Is Hands-Free Cell Phone Use Safe?

April 25, 2014||inPersonal Insurance|auto insurance, cell phone, driving safety, hands free, personal insurance


Wayne Texeira, Marketing Director, CFMP, AINS, AIS, API

Is using a hands-free cell phone while driving safe? More and more vehicles now have dashboard info systems that allow you to make hands-free calls. Massachusetts and other states have passed laws banning texting while driving and cell phone use by drivers under 18. It’s legal, however, for adults to use cell phones while driving, so that must be safe. And if you’re using a hands-free cell phone, you’re safer than someone who is using a handheld device…right? Not really.

It’s easy to understand why people might think that hands-free devices (earpiece, speakerphone, or dashboard system) are safer than handheld cell phones because you can keep both hands on the wheel. Yet, many studies have shown that hands-free devices are no safer than handheld ones because your brain is still distracted.

Is Hands-Free Cell Phone Use Safe?
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We live in a world where people take great pride in multitasking. Individuals and businesses value it. However, the benefits of multitasking are a myth.

From Psychology Today Blog: Technology: Myth of Multitasking:

To perform two tasks at the same time, one task has to be almost automatic and require no focus. It’s why you can listen to instrumental music and read a book. However, when listening to music with lyrics, it’s much harder to comprehend and retain what you’re reading because both activities involve language. This type of multitasking makes you far less effective in both activities.

When it comes to driving, you may be able to drive and talk on the phone because driving or talking seems automatic, but both require focus. Without your full attention to driving, you are less effective, reducing safety. When talking on the phone, have you ever found that you can’t remember driving the stretch of road you’ve just traveled? Have you realized you’ve missed a turn or made another error? Even if you may not be aware of such faux pas on the road, you probably aren’t doing as well as you might think.

According to the National Safety Council, many people perceive talking on the phone as a low-risk activity, yet 26% of car crashes involve cell phone use. Focusing on driving and not talking on the phone can reduce the chances of causing an accident and improve your ability to avoid an accident.

As a full disclosure, yes…I sometimes talk on the phone while driving, but I also realize I’m a better driver when not on the phone. I try to limit the number and length of calls while driving. I avoid talking when in heavy traffic or when driving conditions aren’t ideal. I also try to make calls before driving and pull over when a call becomes involved.

Accidents can and do happen, even though it’s common to feel like “It won’t happen to me.” If an accident happens to me, I don’t want using a cell phone to be a contributing factor. I’m sure you feel the same way. So, the next time we’re on the phone in the car, let’s all consider hanging up for better safety.

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