UAlberta pilot study shows driving while talking on a
hands-free cellular device leads to more driving errors than driving alone.
Talking on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can
lead to a sharp increase in errors that could imperil other drivers on the
road, according to new research from the University of Alberta.
A pilot study by Yagesh Bhambhani, a professor in the
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and his graduate student Mayank Rehani,
showed that drivers who talk using a hands-free cellular device made
significantly more driving errors—such as crossing the centre line, speeding and
changing lanes without signalling—compared with just driving alone. The jump in
errors also corresponded with a spike in heart rate and brain activity.