Are Hands-Free Cell Phone Devices Safer?

Many drivers believe that hands-free devices and apps for cell phones, such as blue-tooth and voice-to-text are a safe alternative to talking or texting on your phone while driving, but is that really true?

“Hands-free is not risk-free, even though three out of four motorists believe it is,” said Peter Kissinger, CEO of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, according to CBS News 8 in San Diego. “We know now that devices like voice-detect or voice-to-email systems can create substantial mental distractions, which can lead to degradation of driving performance.”

Anything that diverts a driver’s attention from the road is distracted driving—talking, eating, grooming, controlling a pet, etc. It is best to lock your phone up in the glove box or trunk while driving to avoid the temptation.

“You can literally look at something and not see it,” said Kissinger. “We have seen that situation occur in the real world. We have seen people being so engrossed in a cellphone conversation and run right through a red light and afterwards don’t even remember seeing the red light.”

That is a pretty terrifying quote. There is more information on accidents available on our site. Please contact our firm today for a free consultation.

Did You Know: More than nine drivers are killed in the US each day due to distracted driving and another 1,000 are injured in accidents.

Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego accident lawyer