Using the mobile phone while driving
Is it dangerous to use the phone while driving?
Many drivers use their mobile phone while driving. However, this can be bad for road safety. Motorists can be physically distracted if they drive a vehicle and operate a mobile phone simultaneously.
However, the greatest danger is cognitive distraction because the driver needs to concentrate on both driving and phoning. The ability to divide one's attention between simultaneous tasks is limited, thus leading to possible dangerous situations. For example, it can result in drivers not noticing traffic signals in time, braking too late, or not adapting adequately to awkward traffic situations such as slipperiness. Mobile phone users have a greater chance of being involved in a crash, but this increased crash rate is not exclusively due to mobile phoning: mobile phone users also wear their seatbelt less and show risky behaviour such as drink-driving and speeding more frequently.
For more details: Fact sheet Use of mobile phone while driving (pdf)