If you thought using a cell phone while driving is only a minor distraction, you are way wrong, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. In fact, you are four times more likely to be involved in a crash when you use a cell phone, according to a study by the traffic safety group.
The even more surprising finding is that it makes no statistical difference whether a driver uses a hands-free device or not. It's the diverted attention that is the problem.
The report found that four in five Americans now own cell phones and more than half admit to using them while driving. The AAA Foundation report combines various studies of billing records of drivers involved in crashes to see whether they had been talking on cell phones just before the events.
There is a solution to this potential problem. Pull over to a safe spot and then use the phone, or, if it is less urgent, use the phone when you get to your destination.