Craig Wilen needed a car. Disinclined to spend frivolously, he put in hours of research on the matter: comparing prices, brands, model-years, calling dealers, calling friends and even his parents (after peak hours, of course). He finally decided on a silver 2004 Toyota Corolla. After the whole ordeal-picking it out, paying for it, signing the paper work-he allowed himself a moment of triumph, celebrating the purchase at the Courtesy Diner.

Six hours later, his car was totaled by a driver who was in an argument on his cell phone. While Wilen wasn’t injured, he was devastated.

“I can’t imagine my car would have been totaled if that driver hadn’t been talking on his cell phone,” he said.

According to a study published earlier this month, drivers talking on cell phones had impaired reaction times and attention lapses on par with those who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .08, the legal limit for drunkenness in most states. Their reaction times were also slowed to levels observed among drivers over 70 years old.

“If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone,” said Dr. David Strayer, a University of Utah professor who was the study’s principal investigator. “It’s like instantly aging a large number of drivers.”

What may come as a bigger surprise, perhaps, is that the study was conducted using hands-free cell phones. In other words, drivers were not distracted by holding cell phones or dialing-their impairment was solely due to the distraction of talking.

As Strayer explained in a phone interview, talking on a cell phone while driving can cause attention blindness, a phenomenon where the driver fails to focus on important details in the road and scenery around them. This can include street signs, stop signs, traffic signals-and even other cars and pedestrians.

“Most people think that it’s only other people who are impaired while talking on a cell phone,” he said. “But everybody is impaired.”

Study participants of all ages were about equally affected when talking on cell phones. The researchers used a driving simulator, which measured reaction time before braking, turning to avoid obstacles and other tasks.

Strayer also found that people talking on cell phones tend to drive more slowly than other drivers, making them an obstacle.

Strayer’s study is the sixth to date that tested hands-free cellular devices, and like all five previous studies it found that these are just as distracting as the hand-held variety. This has led Strayer to question the effectiveness of banning hand-held phones but allowing hands-free units, as has been the case in counties in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere.

“There’s no scientific evidence for the hands-free distinction,” said Strayer.

Despite the results, the finding has been slow to catch on. A conversation with a Cingular representative, who would only go on the record as Abby, yielded the suggestion that while driving with a hand-held cell phone was bad, driving with a hands-free device was acceptable.

“My son will be getting a new phone in a month, and I don’t see any problem if he uses Cingular’s [hands-free hardware],” she said.

Don Strom, Washington University police chief, urged students to use care when driving with cell phones.

“The best advice is to not use cell phones when driving,” said Strom. “And if you do, hands-free devices are much preferred, recognizing there are limitations with this technology as well.”

Strayer’s other study results indicate that cell phone use while driving is unique among driving distractions. Talking to passengers, for example, is not as important of a distraction because the person can actually aid the driver in reacting to the driving environment. They can point out signs, speed limits or be quiet if the driver needs to concentrate in a busy intersection.

Strayer’s research has allowed him the opportunity to appreciate the real world effects of driving with cell phones.

“I’ve had the opportunity to reveal tapes in which drivers using cell phones have caused accidents which killed them or somebody else,” said Strayer. “That sort of thing goes beyond the academic material I normally deal with and puts real faces on it. It’s a sobering experience.”

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