A Swedish researcher has found that people speaking on cellphones while driving are more cautious.
A Swedish researcher has found that people speaking on cellphones while driving are more cautious.
Anne Bolling, a researcher at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), said: “People do get distracted when they’re speaking on the phone, but they also compensate by slowing down and driving more carefully.”
For the study, the VTI enlisted 48 drivers – 24 using hand-held cellphones and 24 using hands-free phones. Each person drove in a simulator for about an hour, during which time they received 10 calls lasting about a minute each, according to a report.
“If you ban cellphone calls in the car, how do you react to other things that distract drivers, like talking to passengers?” Bolling asked.
According to her, Sweden has no plans to ban the use of cellphones in cars.