What might the hands-free law accomplish?

Unless you have been living in a cave, you are probably aware that California's hands-free cellphone laws go into effect at midnight. It appears that different agencies may enforce the law differently, according to my colleagues David Pierson and Hector Becerra in a story at The Times' website.

First, the gist of the laws: you cannot hold a phone and have a conversation when driving, although you can touch the phone to dial. If you are 16 or 17, you can't use a phone period. And, the law fails to address text messaging. Here's a link to a Q&A I wrote recently on the laws.

Second, I wanted to address the most important point of such a law: will it make the roads safer? My former colleague Myron Levin, whose story in March in The Times has this juicy detail:

Indeed, federal highway safety officials drafted a letter from then-Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to the nation’s governors in 2003 to warn against laws like California’s that allow hands-free calling. For reasons never fully explained, the letter was neither signed by Mineta nor sent. According to the bluntly worded letter, obtained by The Times, “overwhelmingly, research worldwide indicates that both hand-held and hands-free phones increase the risk of a crash.”

There has been a lot of research on the subject, with mixed findings. Here's a summary of some of the best-publicized research. If I'm leaving a study out, please note it on the comment board:

University of Utah: Studies released in 2006 and 2008, respectively, concluded that drivers on cellphones -- hands-free or not -- drove as badly as those under the influence of alcohol and also were prone to clog traffic because they weren't paying sufficient attention. Here's a link to an earlier post on U of U's research.

Carnegie Mellon University: In a study released earlier this year, researchers found that people talking on a cellphone while driving -- again, hands-free or not -- were devoting 37% less of their brain to driving.

California Public Policy Institute: The May report concluded that the hands-free law will result in a drop of about 300 driving fatalities each year -- mostly from crashes in adverse conditions.

New England Journal of Medicine: The 1997 report, based on studying crash data and cellphone bills, showed that motorists were four times more likely to be involved in an accident when using a cellphone versus when not. However, the report also found "Thirty-nine percent of the drivers called emergency services after the collision, suggesting that having a cellular telephone may have had advantages in the aftermath of an event."

Harvard Center for Risk Analysis: A 2003 study projected that, across the U.S., 2,600 people die each year and more than 330,000 are injured as a result of cellphone-related crashes -- a number that got a lot of media attention with little mention how it was calculated. Overlooked, perhaps, was that the numbers were not based on figures from each state but on a complex calculation involving several factors -- i.e., how much time people talk on the phone and how much they drive.

Statistics from the states: New York state was the first to institute its hands-free law in 2001. The state also keeps statistics on contributing factors to accidents. From 2001 through 2006, hand-held phones were a factor in 1,170 crashes versus 214 crashes involving hands-free phones, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. There are some important caveats here: accident factors were reported in 82% of all crashes, and in many instances the police must count on getting data from those involved in accidents -- who may or may not have seen what happened or may or may not be honest about it.

--Steve Hymon

Comments

[victor knopp]

hey most of you clowns cant drive on your best day,but with a phone cramed in your face it becomes an absolut joke,what happend to all the promises of tech,just more unnessesary junk,the best and greatest accomplishments were all done before the socalled tech age,now its the my life is more important than your life age,the center devider is in the middle of the freeway just turn hard to the left and do the rest of us a favor

[Dave H]

It would be nice if the idiots driving 3,000 pound vehicles got off their phones and paid attention to what they are doing. There is NO safe way to drive while yapping away - your brain is completely disengaged from driving and that is criminal. No wonder bicyclists and pedestrians are getting murdered in record numbers!

[M]

Channel 4 news did a story on this whole "hands free" ordeal this morning with a live freeway shot as the background.

In the middle of the sidewalk, blocking the entire passageway.

On a sidewalk that leads directly to the Universal City Red Line station.

And it required people using the sidewalk (yes some people walk to the train station) to walk around into the street.

At a super dangerous intersection where cars are exiting the freeway and immediately turning right onto a downward sloping freeway overpass.

So in summary, this law has made the road less safe for pedestrians.

[Breeze Summers]

The MACHINE is good,it is all knowing, it has spoken. We need the MACHINE to save us from the mindless freaks who drive whilist on the phone. Thanks to the MACHINE.

[chad]

I find it very troubling that this new law excludes people who are texting while driving. What gives? Am I the only one terrified by the sight of a 17 year old furiously typing away whilst hurtling down the freeway?

[Ollie]

This is utter stupidity. Attention is divided whether you're holding the phone or not. What a prime example of useless legislation, probably pushed hard by hands-free device companies.

[Phil Apino]

Today's the day. Fool the police.

Drive with your left hand next to your ear.

Pretend to talk.

Especially when you see a cop. Drive the busy bodies nuts!

Spread the word! No cell phone needed to participate.

[John G]

Just another "Nanny Law" brought to you by the Communist/Socialists that run the State of California with the ultimate goal of getting complete control of your life!
"WELCOME TO THE MACHINE"

[Tony]

I'm sure it'll change things like it has in Chicago... Meaning police will have "better" things to chase down and after several weeks the fear of getting ticketed will die down and almost nothing will come of it.

[agoood]

The only accident I've been in that was my fault was when I was using BlueTooth. And I had just told my friend, "Don't worry I'm using BlueTooth!" Then I rear ended someone. Using a hand held cell phone makes me more conscious of my distraction so that I can pay extra attention to the road. The conversation is more of a problem than the device.

[Alan Browne]

This is a step in the right direction, however drivers yacking on the phone whether hands free or not are very distracted from the driving task.

[Gabe]

Here in Chicago we have a city law like this. There is a cop who makes it his mission to write as many of these tickets as possible. He rides around on a 4-wheel ATV in the busy Near North Side area around the streets that feed in and out of the Kennedy Expressway. Honestly I think it has had an effect. I stay off the phone -- until I'm past the feeder ramp and on the expressway at 60 miles an hour.

A shout out to Myron, a great reporter and a great guy.

[Catherine Berger Musacchia]

I'll be traveling to LA on Friday. This is just another intrusion by government into our lives - first smoking, next cell phones, helmets -- the list goes on and on. One day the next generation will awaken to find they don't recognize their free country any longer.

[Lawrence Ross]

It will allow me to not have a stroke following some idiot on the 10 slowly up a whole lane of traffic as he or she yacks on the phone, oblivious to the rest of us.

[mark]

I think the only thing it accomplished was generating sales for the companies that make the bug in your era device.
Nice marketing campaign that will accomplish nothing.

[wtttt]

Like any law it won't do a thing if it has no bite.D.C. has a no cell law and you'd play hell finding people who don't drive and talk.