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Much media attention has been given to stories of cell phones and their distraction of the operators of motor vehicles. A recent study has shown that:
The use of head sets has not impacted the safety issues. A study published by the National Safety Council has shown that driver distraction is the same with either a hand-held or hands-free phone. A University of Utah study showed that using either device slowed driver reactions time to road conditions anywhere from 10 to 30 percent.
An employer may wish to set a policy that employees will not initiate calls while driving, and that if they receive a call while driving that they must pull over as quickly as possible to continue the conversation, or that they inform the caller that they will call them right back.
In addition, with all the Bluetooth connectivity in vehicles, employees should be instructed not to attempt to read or listen to text messages while driving.