A study done by the GHSA (Governors Highway Safety Association) has discovered that cellphones and other gadgets can have an affect on car crashes.  The study says almost 25% of U.S. car accidents are cellphone or gadgets related, sighting that drivers are distracted by the gadgets.
Using a Grant from State Farm, The GHSA has produced a report called Distracted Driving: What Research Show and What States Can Do, and the report looks into the main distractions drivers face when driving. Â Among the main distractions drivers face is on talking on cell phones, which is not a surprise. Â As drivers we all know that driving and talking on the phone is not only illegal in some states but also dangerous.
From the report:
- Laws banning hand-held cellphone use reduced use by about half when they were first implemented. Hand-held cellphone use increased subsequently but the laws appear to have had some long-term effect.
- A high-visibility cellphone and texting law enforcement campaign reduced cellphone use immediately after the campaign. Longer term effects are not yet known.
- There is no evidence that cellphone or texting bans have reduced crashes.
Still, the GHSA encourages states to pass more bans of driving while texting and while talking on cellphones — hands-free or not.
How often do you find yourself engaged with an iPod, cellphone or an in-dash GPS while driving? Let us know
