Perhaps you’ve heard someone say that talking on a cell phone while driving produces similar results to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Mythbusters put this claim to the test and confirmed the claim — trying to maintain a conversation while driving divides your attention and reduces your ability to react to rapidly changing conditions on the road.

In the United States, several states have passed laws forbidding drivers from using hand-held devices while driving but allow drivers to use hands-free devices. But some studies suggest that having both hands on the wheel doesn’t necessarily eliminate the problem. It’s not that you’ve got one hand occupied with your phone — it’s that the human brain isn’t very good at focusing on two tasks at the same time.

Matt Richtel of the New York Times wrote an article that links to several studies that show driving with distractions can be dangerous and even deadly. He also reveals that the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withheld the findings of several studies focusing on the dangers of driving with distractions such as a cell phone conversation or while text messaging.

Why would anyone suppress such information? According to Richtel, the reason was mainly political. Congress had warned researchers not to lobby states to change legislation. The findings  suggest that allowing drivers to use hands-free devices while driving isn’t a good idea, but several states were implementing or debating just such a policy. Apparently, researchers refrained from publishing the findings in an effort to avoid being scolded by the government for influencing public policy.

I understand the need to reduce the influence of lobbyists in government. A government that responds to lobbyists ends up representing only a very small percentage of the population it governs. And while I’m all for individual rights, there are certain other considerations you have to make when it comes to driving. Sure, each driver may feel he or she has the right to be on the phone while driving. It’s the driver’s own life, after all. But that’s a selfish attitude — what about everyone else on the road? Are their lives somehow less important than that driver’s cell phone call?

The researchers estimated that in 2002, 955 people died in car accidents caused by a driver being distracted while talking on a cell phone. It’s easy to think of that as just a number. But remember every single one of those numbers represents a son or a daughter. They were mothers, fathers and children. How many of those cell phone calls were worth dying for?

If you want to read more about the studies, the New York Times is publishing the papers at its Web site.  Learn more about cell phones, traffic and road rage at HowStuffWorks.com:

How Cell Phones Work
How Traffic Works
How Road Rage Works