You may want to think twice before talking on your cell phone while driving
Most car accidents occur due to driving while intoxicated, but the National Highway Transportation Administration reports that 25 percent of all car accidents are due to distracted driving. The NHTSA has not quite narrowed down what percentage of car accidents that are directly cell phone related, but cell phones are categorized as driver distraction. Some people may use a headset of some sort to communicate on a cell phone while driving and think that method is safer. The NHTSA says that the available research indicates that whether it is a hands-free or hand-held cell phone, the cognitive distraction is significant enough to degrade a driver’s performance. This can cause a driver to miss key visual and audio cues needed to avoid a crash. Some people who use cell phones while driving might say it is no different than carrying on a conversation with a fellow passenger. The research by the NHTSA shows that findings comparing cell phone use to passenger conversations while driving, show each to be equally risky, while others show cell phone use to be more risky. A significant difference between the two is the fact that a passenger can monitor the driving situation along with the driver and pause for, or alert the driver to, potential hazards, whereas a person on the other end of the phone line is unaware of the roadway situation.