Are Hands-Free Devices Safe to Use While Driving?

Although using a hands-free device rather than a handheld cell phone seems safer while driving, research indicates that a driver can still become distracted at the wheel of a moving motor vehicle in either event. This is because our brains can get distracted by the conversation and miss important visual and audio cues that would ordinarily help us avoid a crash, reports Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Using a hands-free device like a headset is not significantly safer than hand-held cell phone use.

Driving while using a cell phone in any way reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent, report Carnegie Mellon University scientists. And a study published in the Journal of Safety Research reports that talking on a cell phone, regardless of phone type, significantly impacts driving performance and negatively impacts a driver’s ability to detect and identify potential dangers.

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Thus, while using a hands-free device seems to be safer, research from many studies has found that it is not safer or better than using a handheld phone. In fact, some studies have found that drivers compensate for the harmful effects of using a handheld cell phone while driving but fail to do so when using a hands-free phone.

Any type of cell phone use mixed with driving is dangerous and could lead to a Georgia car crash. As a Peachtree accident attorney, I urge you to avoid using a cell phone, even through hands-free use, in order to keep yourself, your passengers, and other innocent motorists safe on Georgia roads.

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