There are many people in Georgia who, despite repeated warnings, choose to continue to engage in texting and driving or in trying to talk while they are on their phones and maneuvering through traffic at the same time.
The best advice is of course for Georgia drivers to avoid this sort of behavior, as it can easily lead to serious motor vehicle accidents involving distracted driving. However, one study has suggested that if motorists do need to talk on the phone, they might be better off using a hands-free device.
Despite earlier concerns that such devices would not stop distracted driving, the study suggested that motorists who use a hands-free device to talk on their cell phones had a reduced risk of being involved in a crash, that is, as opposed to a person who tried to hold their phone while driving.
Apparently, while talking even to another passenger can be distracting, it is not such a serious distraction to significantly pull one’s attention from the road. It is important to note, however, that this result only pertained to motorists who used a hands-free device to make conventional phone calls.
Drivers who chose to use their phones to search the web, check email, or send a message, all behaviors described under the umbrella of texting and driving, were not helped by a hands-free device.
This information is a challenge to drivers in Rome and other parts of Northern Georgia in two respects. The first is that they should not text and drive if they want to keep themselves and other drivers safe. The second is that, if one must make a phone call, then he or she should strongly consider using a hands-free device. Not doing so could lead to an accident for which the distracted driver can be held accountable.