WASHINGTON-The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed that an upcoming government study will say hands-free headsets do not make driver use of cell phones safe and that Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta last year was set to send letters to the nation’s governors to tell them hands-free legislation was ill advised.
“Our position has not changed. Hands-free does not reduce risk,” said Rae Tyson, a NHTSA spokesman.
Tyson confirmed the results of the NHTSA study, which will be presented at a meeting this fall and which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal Monday. The NHTSA data is drawn from a driving simulator in Iowa.
New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and several towns ban use of handheld phone by drivers, but allow them to use hands-free devices. Other states are considering similar legislation, despite research by NHTSA and others that conclude hands-free is not risk free.
Most national mobile-phone carriers oppose hands-free laws, while No. 1 Verizon Wireless supports legislation to force drivers to keep both hands on steering wheels. The wireless industry largely believes safety education is the key to changing the behavior of drivers, especially teenagers.
Another broader NHTSA study on driver distractions, conducted at Virginia Tech under natural driving conditions, is complete. But Tyson said huge amounts of data must be analyzed before results are released. Several years ago, NHTSA flagged cell phones as posing dangers to drivers.
“We cannot rest on what we’ve done. It’s [driver distractions] is an emerging issue. It’s a growing issue,” said Tyson.
