SANTA CRUZ, Calif.-Reaction time, accuracy and consistency of speed while driving are improved significantly when a headset is used with a mobile phone vs. without, according to a study commissioned by Plantronics. Plantronics sells headsets.
The study analyzed the driving performance of 24 people in the categories of steering accuracy, braking reaction time and speed variability. Findings showed 71 percent of test subjects steered more accurately when using a headset, 100 percent of test subjects had faster brake reaction times when using a headset and 92 percent of test subjects maintained a more consistent speed when using a headset.
Washington, D.C., New Jersey and New York have enacted laws requiring hands-free devices be used while driving and talking on mobile phones, despite arguments that talking on a phone, with or without a hands-free device, is no more distracting than changing the radio station or eating a hamburger.
