A new study confirms that dialing, texting or reaching for a
cellphone while driving raises the risk of a crash or near-miss, especially for
newer drivers.
Just talking on a phone while driving did not prove dangerous as
it has in some other studies, but the new one did not distinguish between
handheld and hands-free devices.
Researchers installed video cameras, lane trackers, gadgets to
measure speed and other sensors in the cars of 42 newly licensed drivers and
109 adults with decades behind the wheel.
Among young drivers, the risk of a crash or near-miss rose
dramatically if they were dialing a phone, reaching for one or another object,
texting or eating.
The study is published in Thursday's New England Journal of
Medicine.
