TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Hands-free calls while driving still dangerous: Research

Intan Tanjung (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, June 13, 2016 Published on Jun. 11, 2016 Published on 2016-06-11T10:49:10+07:00

Change text size

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
A woman drives while making a phone call with a hands-free device. A woman drives while making a phone call with a hands-free device. (Shutterstock/-)

M

aking a phone call with a hands-free device while driving has the same risk potential as holding a cell phone in hand, research released by the University of Sussex in the UK has revealed.

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)

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.

Share options

Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!

Change text size options

Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small, medium, or large—find what’s most comfortable for you.

Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone

Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!

Continue in the app

Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.