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Hands-free sets 'are no safer than holding phone to the ear'

Posted by Freddy Morton


Drivers and owners of a Thetford caravan fridge could have used a hands-free set while in the car and thought it was safe - but recent research has shown that Bluetooth devices are just as dangerous as holding the phone to the ear.



A study carried out by the Governors Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that hands-free devices for the car can significantly alter a driver's concentration to the same level as if they were driving while holding a phone to their head.



Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, told the Daily Mail: "There is a large body of evidence showing that talking on a phone, whether handheld or hands-free, impairs driving and increases your risk of having a crash."



She added that it is not the action of holding the phone that makes for a dangerous situation, but the fact that focus is not primarily on the road ahead.



Mobile phone use in car was made illegal in 2003, banning all drivers from making to-the-ear phone calls while the car is in motion.