(Credit: iStockphoto/Dennis Oblander)

In correlation, the University of Utah presented an in-depth study stating drivers using cell phones are equal to intoxicated drivers:

We found that people are as impaired when they drive and talk on a cell phone as they are when they drive intoxicated at the legal blood-alcohol limit (0.008% in the study).

Moreover, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety had the same concern back in 1991. In 1991, under a grant from AAA, the National Public Services Research Institute performed a real-time study with 151 subjects which resulted in the following conclusions:

1. All forms of cellular phone usage lead to significant increases in the establishment of non-response to highway-traffic situations and increase in time to respond.
2. Complex, intense conversation leads to the greatest increases in likelihood of overlooking significant highway traffic conditions, and the time to respond to them. The distracting effect is similar to that of tuning a radio. The effect of placing calls or engaging in casual conversation is less of a problem, although, calling tends to retard responses.
3. The distracting effect of cellular phone use among drivers over age 50 is two- to three-times as great as that of younger drivers and encompasses all three aspects of cellular phone use - placing calls and carrying on simple and complex conversations. The effect is to increase non-response by 33-38%.
4. Prior experience with cellular phones appears to bear no relation to the distracting effect of cellular phone use.

(MRI Brain Image - Not Actual fMRI image)

If your still not convinced that driving with a cell phone is a distraction take a look at other study results:

1. One in five crashes caused by distraction (Source: Injury Prevention Journal, August 2006 Issue).
2. Driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and near-crashes (Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
3. Drivers talking on cell phones are twice as likely to be involved in a crash or to have a rear-end collision (Source: Univeristy of NC)
4. A comparison between results of fMRI imagery showed that during the dual task of listening and driving, the brain activity in the navigation areas of the brain decreased by 37 percent as compared to the task involving just driving. (Source: The Tartan, Carnegia Mellon Student Newspaper)

State

Crash
Data
Collected

Handheld Ban

Yes

(eff. 7/2008; commercial drivers exempted until 2011)

Yes

(some professions exempted)

Yes

(applies to all drivers, regardless of residency; some professions exempted)

Yes

1. Dealt with as a distracted driving issue; New Hampshire enacted a comprehensive distracted driving law.
2. Utah's law defines careless driving as committing a moving violation (other than speeding) while distracted by use of a hand-held cellphone or other activities not related to driving.
3. Contact your local governments as laws are constantly changing.

   Source: Governors Highway Safety Most recently reviewed February, 2008.