There are a lot of reasons why you may need to talk on the phone while driving. You may have a work issue that needs resolving, a child who needs consoling, or a family member facing a scary medical diagnosis, for example.
Yet, even in these situations, talking on the phone while driving can be distracting, dangerous, and deadly.
Handheld Cell Phone Use Is Allowed for Many Kentucky Drivers
Many states ban all handheld cell phone use by drivers. However, Kentucky is not one of those states. Currently, Kentucky bans all cell phone use by school bus drivers and novice drivers under the age of 18. These drivers may not use their cell phones at all; however, other drivers may use their cell phones to talk on the phone even if they are holding their phones while driving.
Hands-Free Devices May Also Be Dangerous
Information from the National Safety Council (NSC) indicates that hands-free cell phone use while driving is no safer for motorists than handheld cell phone use. Any conversation can take a driver’s mind off of driving safely and can be distracting. Research has shown that a person’s brain cannot handle the task of driving and talking on the phone at the same time.
When an individual engages in more than one activity, the brain has to try and juggle all of the tasks. Juggling the activities of driving and talking on the phone will lead to one activity being neglected when it comes to focus and attention. When it is safe driving that is neglected, the results can be catastrophic.
It doesn’t matter if you use a headset, the Bluetooth setting in your car, or speaker phone. The results can be just as dangerous as when you are holding the phone in your hand.
Accordingly, even though Kentucky law allows you to use the phone to talk while driving, we encourage you not to do so and to pull over to a safe location before beginning your conversation.
Additionally, we encourage you to contact us directly if the driver who caused your crash was on the phone, distracted, or otherwise negligent at the time of your accident. You may be able to recover damages for your physical and emotional injuries. Please call us any day, any time, at 888-450-4456 to learn more.
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