Cell Phones Just as Risky as Drunk Drivers

December 2008

Even the most talkative passenger is not as distracting as a cell phone, according to researchers at the University of Utah. In fact, they found that the risk of getting into a car accident while on a cell phone is as high as driving while legally drunk.

The study authors also reported that using a hands-free device does not make talking on a cell phone any safer. This is because passengers in the car are like a second pair of eyes – they can be quiet or help when they see that the driver needs to make a maneuver – and people on the other end of a phone conversation do not have this ability. The researchers found that cell phone conversations can slow reaction times of young drivers to levels seen among senior citizens and that drivers who use cell phones are as impaired as those who drive while intoxicated.

The study tested 96 adults, ages 18 to 49, in a simulator. The drivers were asked to drive several miles and then pull off at a rest stop, either while talking on the phone or talking to a passenger. Nearly every driver talking to a passenger completed the task, but half of the cell phone users missed the exit.