Is the Hands-Free-Only Law Reducing Hands-Free Use

Food for thought. Tom Vanderbilt at How We Drive brings up an interesting phenomenon. Since California has passed a ban on the use of hand-held phones while driving, use of both hands-held and hands-free phones has declined. A colleague hypothesizes two things are happening:

One, the publicity about the law has raised awareness in general about the risks of talking on a phone — hand-held or not — while driving (and this trend shall pass); or two, that people have not fully understood the law, and may be confusing one form of phone with the other (I admit to sometimes taking a moment to comprehend what the ungainly term ‘hand-free phone’ actually signifies). A third possible idea is that people may somehow feel police will be looking more carefully at all drivers on a phone, regardless of whether it’s legal or not. Or perhaps there’s some other unknown factor at work. Or perhaps the sample size is simply not large enough; perhaps more people than ever are driving and talking.

This should give us an opportunity to look at our own attitudes towards onboard devices, regulation and safe driving behavior.