In response to the National Transportation Safety Board-proposed ban on cellphones while driving, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers tried to defend hands-free devices. They’re “designed to be used in a way that helps drivers keep their eyes on the road,” they said, but now it looks like this defense doesn’t hold water.
Studies about the dangers of using a cell device while driving have produced mixed results — some say talking or texting behind the wheel can increase the odds of a crash exponentially, while others say the perils are few.
Regardless, the National Transportation Safety Board is so convinced of the dangers of “distracted driving” that it’s now called for a nationwide ban on non-emergency cell phone
In recent years, study after study has raised the alarm about the dangers of talking on the phone while driving, with some saying you could be four times as likely to have a crash if you’re using a phone behind the wheel.
But new research indicates it may have been much ado about nothing.
After an almost two-year investigation, the Federal Communications Commission said Monday it had reached an agreement with most of the nation’s cell carriers that should protect consumers from “bill shock” — unexpected increases in a monthly wireless bill.