Government Covers Up Research Showing Link Between Cell Phones And Auto Accidents

Brooks Schuelke

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The New York Times wrote that two public interest groups had obtained documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that show the link between cell phone usage and auto accidents. The documents and a requested study of 10,000 drivers were all shelved because the NHTSA was more worried about politics than the safety of our drivers.

Shockingly, the research found that a motorist talking on a cell phone was four times as likely to be involved in a crash as other drivers, and are as likely to cause an accident as someone with a .08 blood alcohol content.

And using hands-free devices didn’t help much. . In fact, the agency had prepared a letter to the governors of each state warning them of the dangers of even using hands-free devices.

Having said all the above, there's nothing really new. People know the dangers of driving while talking on the phone, and yet people do it all the time. I just hope that more information like this gets out and that we don't have to wait for more deaths before this practice is curbed.

Other blog posts on the topic:

• Distracted Driving: Alarming Statistics On Cell Phone Use While Driving
• New Data Shows Cell Phone Use Contributing To Car Wrecks And Wrongful Deaths
• Ignoring the Perils of Driving and Talking? You May Be Addicted, Prof Says