More Proof: Driving While Talking is Unsafe

If we needed more proof that talking on cell phones while driving is not the safest thing going, we've got it.

Brain activity needed to notice what's happening around you on the road is sharply reduced when talking on cell phones and driving, according to a psychologist who presented his study at the American Psychological Association meeting in New Orleans. USA Today reports David Strayer's findings after studying 500 drivers using driving machines: 

• Hands-free phones pose the same hazards as handheld phones.

• When drivers look at objects on the road they are less likely to recall seeing them if they're on the phone at the same time.

• People in their twenties talking on cell phones have the same reaction time as 70-year-olds.

• Talking on a cell phone cuts a driver's brain activity in half in the areas of the brain needed for noticing traffic conditions around them

• Conversations with passengers reduce a driver's attention, too, but they aren't as unsafe as talking on a phone because passengers can help drivers by pointing out if they see imminent danger.

Strayer wonders about the quality of the decisions people who are trying to work while talking on the phone and driving are making. He knows they are driving slower and probably making their commutes longer.

I don't get work done talking on the phone in my car, but I am guilty of answering calls from my kids when I'm off on errands, calling home, or returning calls when I have some "free time" in my car.

Will studies like this change your driving and talking habits?