NTSB Says Hands Free Phones Are Just As Risky

The NTSB has just announced that it has concluded hands free phones are just as risky when compared to holding the phone in your hands while driving. I can't believe they needed research to tell them that. Distracted is distracted when it comes to driving. It doesn't matter if it's your coffee, a kid in the back seat, your co-worker sitting beside you, or the radio. If you don't pay attention, driving is dangerous.

The fix according to the NTSB is to ban hands free phones in cars, not just using phones actually held in the hand. What we really need to do is ban idiot drivers. Stopping distracted drivers is impossible because there are simply too many things that can distract, not that we shouldn't try and reduce distracted driving. As the AP reports the thing missing from the research and studies on cell phone use while driving is hard evidence that connects mobile phones and an increase in traffic accidents in the US.

The incidence of traffic accidents on the highways around the country is actually dropping. Accidents in the US were at their lowest level since 1949 last year. I agree with the people against this hands free ban. If you are going to outlaw any mobile phone use in the car, you might as well mandate cars all be single seaters, no talking in the car while driving, and no radio. Those all distract as much as talking on the phone. I am not convinced there is any way to stop distracted driving by mandate from the government, what do you think?

[via AP]