Cell phones distract drivers, hands down

Calling all motorists: Using a hands-free cell phone while driving markedly interferes with the ability to maneuver a vehicle safely, according to several new tests.

In 2001, David L. Strayer of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and his colleagues reported that people talking on either handheld or handsfree cell phones during simulated drives ran red lights more often and reacted more slowly to traffic signals than when not talking on a phone.