by Kristy Stevens-Young

Created on: July 20, 2008

More and more states are putting a ban on cell phone use while driving. To be more precise, it becomes illegal to hold a cell phone in your hand while driving. Is this enough to make a difference or this just another case of a useless law? Really, just how much safer are drivers that use a Bluetooth over those holding their cell phones in their hands?

Holding a Cell Phone vs. Using a Bluetooth

I understand the idea behind the law, as I myself was rear ended by a man on his cell phone. I am questioning whether this (and other accidents) would still have happened if the driver had still been on the cell phone, only using a Bluetooth? Is it the actual holding of the phone, or the conversation itself, that causes the distraction?

There are times where holding the cell phone can be an added distraction such as shifting gears. With a hand on the cell phone and a hand on the gear shift, who is holding onto the wheel? If you have three hands, this is not a problem but, for us two handed drivers there are just not enough hands to shift, hold the phone and the wheel at the same time. In this example, a Bluetooth would make a difference.

Other times a Bluetooth would make a big difference would be when one is driving, talking and putting on their make-up. It really is difficult as one must pay a lot of attention on application, or they may have lipstick on their cheek or look like Tammy Faye when they get to their destination. Having your phone holding hand free would be a big help.

The only other times I can think of where I personally could have benefited from a Bluetooth when I have to continually turn around and ask the kids if I need to pull over or grab something out of two arguing children's hands. Really getting the DVD away from the grips of two different children is not as easy as you would think! And having to keep the phone up to my ear while doing that, is well, very difficult!

But seriously, is using a Bluetooth really going to cause me to be any less distracted while I am talking a teenager through the steps to put out the grease fire she just started or arguing with an 8 year old over the fact that she does have to eat her carrots at Grandmas? And what about the poor guy who is getting dumped over the phone or the person who gets bad news from their Doctor while driving? Are any of those conversations less distracting because the came through an ear piece instead of the cell phone held to our ears? I think not.

What about teenagers and other inexperienced drivers?

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