New Cellphone Law May Not Reduce Accidents

A new law went on the books that makes using a handheld cellphone a primary offense while driving. If you get a ticket, it won't become part of your driver's permanent record or be reported to your insurance company, but it's gonna cost you. The fine is $124 for texting or talking without a headset.

If you're under 18, the law is even tougher. You can't use a cellphone at all, even with a hands-free device, while behind the wheel.

There are some exemptions, such as transit and emergency vehicle personnel, tow truck operators and drivers with hearing aids. And if you're calling or texting to report illegal activity or summon emergency help, you will not be cited.

With distracted drivers causing more and more accidents, legislators are trying to crack down on the distractions. But does this new law actually help make the roads safer? Surprisingly, lots of research says no. Many drivers have invested in expensive hands-free devices such as Bluetooth headsets, but many researchers are saying that the problem is not that your hands are busy, but that your mind is distracted when talking on the phone.

"It's a 'feel-good law'. It makes people think we're trying to do something to address the problem," says professor David Strayer, of the University of Utah's psychology department.

He has been involved with the research that shows that cellphone-using drivers can be just as impaired as drunken drivers. And he's not alone in that conclusion. Other research institutions, notably the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as well as a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that there is no difference in driver impairment between talking while holding the phone and a hands-free device.

When driving and talking at the same time, the brain gets overloaded with processing information, and the chances for an accident in that situation are many times greater.

So, before you go out and buy an expensive hands-free device, keep in mind the safest thing to do while driving is to keep both hands on the wheel and your mind focused on the road ahead.