National Safety Council infographic shows hands-free devices give drivers a false sense of security

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Apr 29, 2014, 10:15 ET

ITASCA, Ill., April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council estimates 26 percent of all car crashes involve cell phone use. Although texting is widely considered the riskiest form of distraction, just 5 percent of crashes involve text messaging. An astounding 21 percent involve talking on a cell phone – handheld or hands-free.

Cell phone use while driving is a serious public safety threat. The National Safety Council estimates 26 percent of all car crashes each year involve cell phone use - handheld or hands-free. Learn why driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone is not safer. Visit nsc.org/handsfreerisk. (PRNewsFoto/National Safety Council)

The mission of the National Safety Council is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. (PRNewsFoto/National Safety Council) (PRNewsFoto/National Safety Council)

An NSC survey revealed that 8 in 10 drivers mistakenly believe hands-free devices are safer than using a handheld phone. In reality, hands-free devices do not offer drivers any safety benefit. It's the cell phone conversation that is distracting – not the act of holding the cell phone. Drivers who are cognitively distracted by their cell phone conversations can miss seeing up to 50 percent of their driving environment, even though they are looking right out the windshield. NSC debunks the safety myth about hands-free devices in its new infographic available at nsc.org/handsfreerisk.

About the National Safety Council
Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

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CONTACT: Kathy Lane, 630-775-2307, [email protected]

SOURCE National Safety Council