Dangers of driving while using cell phone Published Nov. 3, 2010 By Rod Krause 5th Bomb Wing Safety MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Using a cell phone while driving a car has been proven to be dangerous. A recent University of Utah study indicated it is just as unsafe to use a cell phone while driving as it is to drive drunk. The dangers were the same for both regular and hands-free cell phones, as the danger appears to be caused by driver distraction. Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen can break the dangers down into the categories of reaction time, inattentiveness, intensity, accident risk and age. The University of Utah study showed that cell-phone using drivers have a slower reaction time, in fact taking about nine percent longer to hit the brakes and 19 percent longer to resume a normal driving speed after brake application. The studies also showed 24 percent more variation in the distance at which they followed other vehicles. These impaired reaction times make drivers who are talking on the phone more likely to get into a vehicle mishap. Of course, when drivers are talking on their cell phones, their attention is taken away from the road. Drivers suffer from what researchers call inattention blindness. Even though the driver may be looking right at a hazardous road condition, they do not really see it or react to it. Most drivers don't realize they are being inattentive until it is too late to react properly to the dangerous situation. The American Automobile Association also found intense cell phone conversations are more dangerous to drivers than casual chats. Although any cell phone use while driving will decrease a driver's reaction times, emotional conversations or those that require more concentration have a much greater effect. In general, drivers who use their cell phones have a greater overall risk of getting into an mishap. A statistical analysis of all the studies conducted showed that they have 5.36 times the risk of an accident over people who operate their motor vehicles with no distractions. Finally, the dangers of driving while using a cell phone are greater for certain age groups. University of Utah researchers indicated teenagers and young adults have the worst effect. When drivers in these age groups are talking on a cell phone, their reactions slow down to the same level as an undistracted elderly driver. A study by the AAA Foundation found that the distracting effects of cell phones are two to three times greater in drivers over 50, resulting in an increased risk. Statistically, driving while using a cell phone is asking for an accident. That's why many states, and the Department of Defense, have implemented rules restricting cell phone use while driving. At Minot AFB, local policy is that a hands-free device must be used to talk on a cell phone while driving, and texting while driving is not permitted. Remember, no matter where or for what reason, the safest way to use a cell phone in a vehicle is to pull over to make that call or send a text.