WASHINGTON - A new study claims that drivers using hands-free devices to talk while on the road are still being distracted.
New research from AAA says that hands-free technologies, used by almost 1/3 of D.C. drivers, can still create mental distractions even if those drivers have their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
"The lasting effects of mental distraction pose a hidden and pervasive danger that would likely come as a surprise to most drivers," said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
"The results indicate that motorists could miss stop signs, pedestrians and other vehicles while the mind is readjusting to the task of driving."
Researchers found that potentially unsafe levels of mental distraction can last for as long as 27 seconds after completing a distracting task in the worst-performing systems studied.