Driving with cellphones

The SST reports that the Government is going to ban the use of non hands-free cellphones in cars.

I accept that talking on a cellphone while talking, increases the risk of crashing. But so does talking to a passenger, tuning the radio or CD, eating, smoking, or having a drink from your water bottle.

It seems to me that cellphones are being targetted, merely because they are used a lot, not because as an activity they are more dangerous than any other potentially distracting activity. Evidence to the contrary is welcome.

From the research I have seen, there is little difference between using a hand held and a hands-free phone, in terms of distraction. It is the talking which distracts, not holding the phone. But because a total ban would be unpopular, a hand held ban is proposed.

Personally I prefer trusting people to judge the conditions. I find it useful to get calls on my cellphone when in my car. Sometimes I won’t answer the call at all, if I am on a tricky piece of road. Sometimes I’ll take the call, and sometimes I’ll take it and pull over if it is going to be an extended call. All depends on the road, the traffic and the weather.