More states say cellphones and driving don't mix
More states to restrict cell phone use while driving.
SAN FRANCISCO -- On July 1, California will become the largest state to ban unlimited cellphone use by drivers. The law prohibits drivers under 18 from talking on the phone, and it requires older drivers to use a hands-free headset.
A similar law goes into effect the same day in Washington state. Legislation has already been passed in New York, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere — and more laws are pending. What's a chatty driver to do? USA TODAY reporter Michelle Kessler asked insurance and driving experts to explain the hodgepodge of new restrictions, and what they mean for car- and cellphone-loving Americans:
Q: Is it legal to drive while talking on a cellphone?
A: It depends on where you are. In the USA, states — and some cities — set cellphone driving laws. They vary widely.
Idaho permits all cellphone use. Washington, D.C., prohibits learner's permit holders and school bus drivers from talking on the phone at all — and requires other drivers to use a headset or other hands-free device.
Laws also vary outside the USA. Germany and Australia are among countries that restrict cellphone use in cars.
Q: Just how dangerous is driving while talking on a cellphone?
A: The risk of having an "injury crash" increases fourfold when a driver is on the phone, says Anne McCartt, a vice president with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group funded by auto insurers.
Q: What makes talking on a cellphone more dangerous than talking to a passenger in the car, or listening to the radio?
A: Researchers are still investigating precise brain functions of cellphone-chatting drivers. Early evidence suggests the problem is "cognitive distraction from the conversation," McCartt says.
A driver and a passenger who are having a conversation can both see the road. The conversation will likely stop if something unexpected happens.
But if a driver is having a conversation over a cellphone, the person at the other end of the line can't see the road — so he or she keeps talking when something dangerous occurs. That prevents the driver from completely focusing, McCartt says.
