In-Car Comms Can Kill! Or not.
As U.S. politicians respond to the imperative “Do something, anything about all those soccer moms driving around while yakking on cell phones (except my wife, of course),” it looks like we ain’t got game. According to the country cell phone bans list, use a cell phone whilst driving in New Delhi, India– hands-free or no– and you’re looking at prison time. But do all these legal strictures actually increase road safety? The Wall Street Journal [sub] reports that many researchers have concluded that the only deterrent that makes a difference is the New Delhi solution. The New York Times [reg] recently reported on work from Carnegie Mellon saying that even listening on a hands-free cell phone impairs drivers as much as knocking back a few beers. Nobody seems to talk about the safety benefits of cell phones including calling AAA for help with a flat tire, calling 911 to report accidents, reporting road debris before someone gets hurt or calling in drunk drivers. Perspective people, perspective.