The New York Times has been running a series of articles highlighting the dangers of talking on cellphones while driving. But until today it’s been run-of-the-mill material that just repeats what most of us already know–that it’s dangerous.
Today’s article, however, details a 2003 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States that was never released to the public. Why? The Administration says it wasn’t published because there wasn’t enough data collected to be reliable, but the Times and many others say the documents weren’t released for political reasons–so as not to anger Congress–and due to pressure from cellphone manufacturers.
Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, the documents are public for the first time today and the numbers are revealing.
- in 2002, cellphone use by drivers caused 955 fatalities and 240, 000 accidents
- in 2002, 6% of drivers were on the phone at any given time; in 2009, that number is estimated to be halved
- drivers using a cellphone are 4 times as likely to crash as other drivers
- drivers on a cellphone are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a 0.08 blood alcohol level
The study also reveals that hands-free laws enacted in many states (and elsewhere in the world) may not be enough to solve the problem. It argues that the physical act of holding a cellphone is not the problem; rather it’s the distraction caused by conversation. Because it requires brain power to talk on the phone, a person not completely engaged in driving will have a slower reaction time. I’m sure you can figure out the rest.
Beyond cellphones though, I wonder what this revelation will mean for other in-car hardware manufacturers. For those that use GPS navigators, wouldn’t the same rules apply? Looking at a map rather than the road is a dangerous act. And even with newer PNDs often supporting Bluetooth, meaning drivers can receive voice-guided directions without needing to look at the GPS display, this same feature also enables cellphone conversations. If it’s the actual conversation causing danger on the road, the GPS devices are probably just as dangerous as cellphones.
While I don’t think cellphones and GPS devices will ever be ‘banned’ in vehicles, what if they were? What would be the financial ramifications for both industries? Pretty devastating, mainly for the GPS industry which is already being sucked dry by the popularity and advanced functionality of smartphones, and lately even GPS-enabled feature phones.
