In the years leading up to 2010, a few states in the U.S had already adopted “hands-free” laws, which prohibited drivers from using and/or talking on handheld telephones while on the road. Fast forward to 2022, and now a total of 24 U.S. states have outright banned handheld devices for all drivers behind the wheel, and 48 U.S. states have banned texting while driving.
But is using a hands-free device while driving, such as a pair of headphones or bluetooth, really that much safer? Let’s dive into it.
The Birth of Bluetooth
The first bluetooth device was released in 1999; a wireless headset. However, bluetooth in phones was not the standard, so it needed an adapter.
In 2007, iPhone, iPod, and other Apple products had fully adopted bluetooth, and the explosion of the iPhone began.
However, it wouldn’t be for a few more years until bluetooth became the standard in cars. In the years following 2010, most car models had fully adapted to bluetooth stereos.
Now, bluetooth is as prevalent as ever, having created endless possibilities in the technology world – especially the possibility of hands-free telephone use.
Hands-Free Phone Use: Safe or Not Quite?
Although using a hands-free cell phone device might have less risks than using a handheld device, research indicates that it is not completely risk-free.
Talking on the phone while driving is a form of distracted driving, whether it is hands-free or not. While using a handheld phone, the driver is engaging in both manual and cognitive distracted driving; taking his/her hands off of the wheel and his/her mind off of the task at hand.
While using a hands-free device, the form of distracted driving is solely cognitive; taking your mind off of the task at hand, which is driving responsibly and safely. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), using a hand-free device still has the potential to negatively affect a driver’s performance.
Important Things to Know About Distracted Driving and Cell Phone Use
- All of the combined forms of distracted driving took 3,142 lives, and injured around 400,000 people in car accidents in 2020. (NHTSA)
- The federal government estimates that 7.9 percent of drivers were using a hand-held or hands-free cellphone during any moment of the day. (IIHS)
- The percentage of drivers holding cell phones to their ears while driving increased from 2.9 percent in 2017 to 3.2 percent in 2018. (NHTSA)
- The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states that new features, such as voice-to-text features, prove to be more distracting than simply sending a text. The mental distraction of such features can linger for up to 30 seconds after a message has been sent.
- According to the injury attorneys at Jacobs & Jacobs, LLC., cell phone records can be pivotal pieces of evidence in building a car accident case.
New Technology Doesn’t Always Mean Safest
The fact of the matter is that technology is moving and growing at an unprecedented rate. What once was thought of as a safe new way to drive while talking on the cell-phone, has been deemed by research to be not as safe as everyone originally thought.
Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by distracted driving car accidents every single year. Keep this article in mind as you and your loved ones get behind the wheel. You can avoid distracted driving by turning your cell-phone off while driving, and ensuring any other distractions are being avoided.