August 26, 2007
Study finds no link between car accidents and yapping whilst driving
New York Times Blog reports on a new study, contradicting conventional wisdom about cell phones and driving.
"Two Berkeley graduate students found in research published last week that while Americans are clearly gabbing gobs more, they are not more accident prone.
... The researchers wonder if the public at large might be taking care to compensate for their talking say, for instance, by moving into the slow lane. Or, they theorized, the phone calls might be keeping otherwise tired drivers alert and awake.
There are nuances the research doesn’t account for. For instance, they note that certain demographics of users, like teens, might be worth isolating for further study since they may not just be talking on the phone, but also sending text messages (and, while the study doesn’t mention it, experiencing hormonal swings).
This research could contribute to an ongoing debate among policy makers and legislators trying to decide whether to outlaw the practice of DCWD — Digitally Communicating While Driving.
[Wired Blogs: Gadget Lab via EngadgetMobile]
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