Phones and hangovers distract drivers, studies show
Chatting on a hands-free phone is more distracting to drivers than a conversation with a passenger, researchers have found. Drivers were more likely to drift out of their lane and miss a right turning if they were using a hands-free set, than if they were talking to someone sat in the car or not speaking at all, a study reveals. The finding builds on recent work that suggests younger people's reactions become as slow as those of pensioners if they are talking on a hands-free set while driving.David Strayer, at the University of Utah, used a driving simulator to see how conversations affected people's driving.He asked 41 men and women to take part in 10-minute journeys during which they either chatted to a passenger, sat in silence with them, or drove alone but took a call from a person on a hands-free set.Drivers had to negotiate two-lane roads with traffic...
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