Dialing for Danger

You there, on the road with cell phone in hand: Put it down or pull over. That’s the message this week from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency bases its recommendation on a new study of motorists who use cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. The danger is clear: Drivers need to focus their eyes, hearing and minds on the road, not on wireless gizmos.

Agency officials have reviewed data on auto accidents and the growing use of cell phones, and they see a troubling convergence. The bottom line is that accidents will mount unless drivers use far greater care. One study found that accidents jumped fourfold when a portable phone was being used.

As cities sprawl and commutes grow, so does the temptation to take care of business or family matters on the road. Forty-four percent of drivers now have access to phones in their cars. Far lower percentages have e-mail access, hand-held computers and video monitors, and a relative few can send and receive faxes. The figures will almost certainly rise with the growing variety of portable gadgets. Next-generation cars may permit drivers to receive music videos, voicemail and traffic updates.

The risks are obvious. Dialing on a keypad, navigating a computer answering system or using a video monitor inevitably forces drivers to take their eyes off the road. Researchers have found that a heated conversation even on a hands-free phone can cut a driver’s concentration, making him or her less likely to check mirrors or fully scan the roadway ahead. They also found that the use of phones and other portable electronic devices presents even more of a distraction than tuning a car radio.

Mobile phone makers think the agency’s advice goes too far, but Motorola is among those who advise customers not to conduct business or difficult personal conversations in traffic and to stay off the phone when weather or road conditions are hazardous.

The federal highway agency has power to set vehicle safety standards but has no jurisdiction over portable phones, so its recommendations may lack weight. But it’s on the right track.

Don’t use a phone when you’re driving; don’t use a computer or any other portable device. And while we’re at it, add shaving, applying makeup and reading to that list.