One word: Bluetooth.
A recent Virginia Tech study found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. Not good. In fact, studies have shown that texters are significantly more likely to cause a crash. Someone who talks on a cell phone while driving is equivalent to a .08 blood alcohol level, when it comes to accident risk. So, when you’re tossing back that next phone call, consider it’s loaded. On verage, we overestimate our ability to multitask. So, save the simultaneous sandwich-eating, softdrink sipping, knee-steering while keying in the address to your GPS.
While the Dr. Spock-like phone in your ear device may not be the most flattering, it makes a lot of sense to at least have both hands on the wheel. Otherwise, just remember that the typical time it took study participants to look at an incoming text while traveling highway speed, many traveled the length of a football field before winding up in a “crash.”
