Since 2003, the government has known that drivers talking on
their cell phones experience the same potentially deadly
distraction whether they are using a handheld device or hands-
free technology, reports the consumer advocacy groups Public
Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety. By keeping this
information secret from the public for the six years, the
government has endangered even more lives, the groups said.
Cities and states across the country have passed laws and
ordinances requiring drivers to use hands-free phones,
mistakenly believing those devices to be safe and encouraging
drivers to use them. Whether both hands are on the wheel or not,
the risky distraction stemming from the phone conversation
causes “inattention blindness” – a cognitive state that limits a
driver’s ability to detect changes in road conditions, which
slows reaction time. The Center for Auto Safety has petitioned
the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to
restrict the availability of two-way communication features