Hands-free devices as distracting as mobile phones while driving

The US study also indicated that such devices are just as dangerous as holding a phone while at the wheel.

The report by the U.S. Governors Highway Safety Association was based on an analysis of more than 350 scientific papers on ‘distracted’ driving.

According to the Department of Transport,using a mobile while at the wheel makes a driver four times more likely to crash.

“When it comes to distracted driving,one thing is clear: any activity that take extended focus away from the primary task of driving is both unsafe and unwise,” the Daily Mail quoted association spokesman Lynda Tran as saying.