Even more evidence is piling up against driving and texting/talking as a panel convened in Washington to discuss the issue. The consensus: Public service ad campaigns don’t work. Only through “wielding a big stick” (ie more laws and restrictions) is government going to help solve the problem. And it is a huge one with estimates ranging from one in every ten, to one in every four drivers on their cell phone at any one given time on our nation’s highways. Research has shown that just talking on a cellphone puts a driver at a four-times-greater risk of crashing and that hands-free devices don't lower that risk. Texting raises that risk level several multiples higher. Bottom line: People recognize that texting/talking on a cell phone is a hazard. Whether they are willing to give it up is another question.
(This blog entry is linked to the Washington Post and you can read the article for free, but you will have to register.)
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