Hands-free device better left alone while driving

MONTREAL, CANADA: Scientists have shown that using hands-free cellular devices on the go could lead to a sharp increase in driving errors, says a study.

A pilot study by Yagesh Bhambhani, a professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, and his graduate student Mayank Rehani, showed that drivers who talk using a hands-free cellular device made significantly more driving errors -- such as crossing the centre line, speeding and changing lanes without signalling -- compared with just driving without being attached to such devices.

The jump in errors also corresponded with a spike in heart rate and brain activity, reports Science Daily.

"It is commonplace knowledge, but for some reason it is not getting into the public conscience that the safest thing to do while driving is to focus on the road," said Rehani, who completed the research for his master's thesis in rehabilitation science at the University of Alberta.