FXH, as to the question of why phone conversations are more risky than other car activities, the answer is that the other party to the conversation is not aware of the driving environment, and thus can’t adjust their conversation to the driving task the way a passenger does. For example, a passenger will detect that the driver is concentrating on something and wait. Or the passenger will themselves detect dangerous situations and ease off while the driver handles the situation. Phone conversations, on the other hand, demand sustained attention from the driver.

There are also issues with texting, where using the keyboard and diverting eyes from the road degrades driver performance.

Unfortunately crashes are rare events, so drivers don’t get feedback about their behaviour until a catastrophic single event. Because of this, most dangerous drivers don’t see themselves as dangerous. Many even perceive themselves as possessing special skills at driving fast. For example, Congressman Bill Jankow in America used to be an ardent speeding advocate and critic of safety measures, until he killed a motorcyclist.

And the 4WD driver who raced into Bethany Holder’s school in Sydney certainly didn’t mean to run over the innocent 5 year old in front of her mother.

The point of safe driving is always having time to respond to unexpected situations.

What’s not clear to me is if (or how) talking on a hands free phone is worse than, as bad as, or less than, say a squawking kid in back seat, wandering dog in front seat, smoking a ciggie, drinking a bottle of “health water”, thinking about interest rates, changing a CD, suspecting a spider behind sun visor, squabbling with passenger, gawking at inappropriate muffin tops, cleavage, bum cracks, pot bellies, or putting on lipstick, eating a sushi roll or driving in thongs.

For someone like Nicholas, who uses the mobile dozens of times a day, the gadget almost part of his body, and its as easy for him to combine phoning with driving as singing is to combine withn showering for most people.

Pretty much the same logic that’s applied by people who get behind the wheel and drive while intoxicated with alcohol and other psycho-active drugs. “It’s OK for me” (and me mates), “I/we can handle it ’cause we drink all the time.”

Doesn’t wash.

The proposal that hands-free kits address the problem was part of a very successful lobbying campaign by the cell phone industry in America, copied here in Australia by Telstra.

Nicholas, I would encourage you to turn your phone off while driving. Nothing would be worth running over a toddler on a pedestrian crossing, surely.

As the “study” by the economists, I might prepare a rebuttal later. They haven’t proven anything. In particular, if they want to challenge conventional research, they need to establish where it’s wrong, rather than just playing with statistics.

Still, I suspect my occasional car phone use is a very small threat to the pedestrians of the world compared with younger (particularly male) drivers, much older drivers, drivers under the influence and speeders.

They are also using their phones. This is the classic response of speeders who also think their speeding is OK.

You will need have this classic response ready when pulled over,

“Why aren’t you concentrating on the real criminals?”, he, he.

Still, I suspect my occasional car phone use is a very small threat to the pedestrians of the world compared with younger (particularly male) drivers, much older drivers, drivers under the influence and speeders.

Since your position and arguements on this thread display all the characteristics of a younger (particularly male) driver, I’d be tempted to doubt your judgment in this area, and give you the same advice I (all too often) give myself: think how you would feel if you ever did hit someone, and started to ask yourself if there was anything you could have done to avoid it…

I had a dream that I ran off the road, while talking on a mobile phone which was strange, because at the time I hadn’t yet bought a mobile phone. I took it as a warning that it is at the least a dangerous activity. I would hazard a guess that there’s some different circuitry going on in the brain, maybe two opposing areas trying to function simultaneously that interfere and possibly cancel each other out–one’s ability to judge spatial relations versus trying to pay attention to someone somewhat disembodied on the end of a phone.

Sorry, but the roads are made for use that includes cars, trucks, bicycles, motorbikes, but not mobile phones. Handsfree kits are cheap as chips, and while not ideal, are a whole lot better than holding that thing to your ear while driving.

Isn’t part of the message just ‘concentrate while you are driving’ ireespective of the specific point about phones?

I watched a semi-trailer driver trying to turn a corner this morning one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding his phone. It was scary stuff.

I agree with your argument, but not with your lifestyle.

If you care about your safety, don’t worry about my mobile. Keep that motorbike for off-road use!

Still, I suspect my occasional car phone use is a very small threat to the pedestrians of the world compared with younger (particularly male) drivers, much older drivers, drivers under the influence and speeders.

As a pedestrian who might be in your vicinity at the time, I’m not.