Hands-free phone users slow traffic

Monday, January 07, 2008

Hands-free phone use slows drivers by 2mph
Drivers on phone also fail to keep up with traffic flow
Average commute is lengthened by 20 hours a year

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Drivers who legally use a hands-free mobile phone still manage to impede other road users, according to a new study.

Utah University's traffic laboratory has discovered that drivers talking on their phones travel on average 2mph slower on congested roads than other road users, and fail to keep up with the traffic flow.

That adds an average 20 hours a year to the commuting time for drivers who have a half-hour drive to and from work each day.

The study concludes that the slow-down is caused by drivers using phones becoming too distracted by the conversation.