Students who talk on their cell phones while driving react just as slowly as elderly citizens and increase their risk of accidents, according to a recently released report from the University of Utah.
David Strayer, author of the study and University of Utah psychology professor, said a 20-year-old on a cell phone tends to have the same reaction time as a 70-year-old who is not on the phone.
"In fact, younger people are more at risk because they drive too close to others," Strayer said. "And since their reaction times are slower, they can't recover fast enough."
The study involved people of all ages driving in a simulated situation, but found when motorists between the ages of 18 and 25 talked on cell phones, they reacted 20 percent slower than they would normally.
Some students said they agreed with the study results, and many admitted they talk on the phone while driving.
"I was driving today, and some guy was going the wrong way in a one-way lane, and, lo and behold, he was on his cell phone," psychology senior Ayanna McKinnon said. "But to be honest with you, talking on my phone affects my driving too, but I try not to do it often."
The study found when younger drivers were on the phone, they slowed down and couldn't recover their speed fast enough, becoming an impediment to everyone else on the road, Strayer said.
The study also found that drivers on cell phones were comparable to drunken drivers, and at times, they drove even slower than a person who had a blood alcohol level higher than .08, Strayer said.
"The standard is you can't drive when your blood alcohol level is .08 or higher, because people are four to six times more likely to get in an accident," Strayer said. "But it's the same with cell phones."
Hands-free phones were used as well, but Strayer said there was no safety advantage over a regular cell phone because it's the conversation itself that distracts the driver.
"Headsets are pretty popular," said Ford Vongpunsawad, senior communications consultant with Sprint PCS, 2959 Preyde Blvd., in Lansing. "I would guess that one out of every seven customers buys a headset."
Vongpunsawad said they don't warn customers about the dangers of driving while talking on the phone.
"It's pretty much common sense," he said. "There aren't big red letters on the box that warn people - it's just common sense."
Anne Readett, spokeswoman for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning said any distraction, not just a cell phone, is harmful.
"People will often engage in activities that force their driving to become secondary," Readett said.
Out of the 391,485 reported car crashes in 2003 in Michigan, only 879 of them involved drivers on their cell phones, according to office records. The numbers aren't completely accurate, however, because people have to tell the officer they were on the phone, Readett said.
"Cell phones are a relatively new area for us," she said. "We don't have a lot of data right now, but it's certainly something we're going to be monitoring very closely."
