Just as many safety experts have always suspected, using a hands-free

mobile phone isn’t safe either. Research conducted by the University of Utah, shows that driving performance is dramatically impaired when using a hands-free mobile phone for 97.5% of drivers.

Drivers tested while using hands-free mobile phones took 20% longer to hit the brakes when needed and following distances increased 30% as the drivers failed to keep pace with simulated traffic while driving. Memory performance declined 11%, and the ability to do math problems fell 3%.

The conclusion is that using a hands-free phone isn’t safer than using a hand-held because it’s the conversation that’s the distraction.