Drivers may visualize the subject of their phone call, making them shift focus away from the road. Thus drivers can fail to be aware of what is happening on the road, which can slow down their reaction speed when facing hazards, the study claimed.

As part of the study, half of a group of 20 male and 40 female volunteers were asked to drive while making a call with a hands-free device, while the other half remained focused on the road. During the test, they were given simulated hazards such as pedestrians stepping onto the road and driving while being distracted by a human voice.

(Read also: Research continues on cancer risks associated with talc powder)

Research head Gemma Briggs said that those who made a hands-free call while driving took around 0.65 seconds longer to react to a hazard on the side of the road than those who were fully focused. 

“At 30 [miles per hour], that’s an extra stopping distance of 8.7 meters. They took even longer to react to a hazard situation that appeared directly ahead of them; around 0.98 seconds longer than undistracted drivers,” she said as quoted by Metro. The good news is that researchers said it was safe for a driver to talk to passengers inside the car, as they shared the same environment.

The study aimed to highlight a common misunderstanding in many countries that hands-free conversations while driving are "safe". (kes)

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