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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Brain & Nervous System

Mobile phone use-Effects of handheld and handsfree phones on driving performance.

No Effects Found

Tornros JE, Bolling AK. · 2005

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Both handheld and hands-free phone use equally impair driving performance, showing that cognitive distraction remains dangerous regardless of phone type.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested 48 drivers using mobile phones while navigating simulated driving courses to measure how phone use affects driving performance and mental workload. They found that both handheld and hands-free phone use significantly impaired drivers' ability to detect peripheral events and maintain proper vehicle control, indicating increased mental strain regardless of phone type. The study reveals that hands-free devices don't eliminate the cognitive distraction that makes phone use dangerous while driving.

Why This Matters

This research addresses a critical safety issue that affects millions of people daily. While this study focuses on behavioral effects rather than biological EMF impacts, it demonstrates how radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones creates measurable cognitive impairment during complex tasks like driving. The finding that hands-free devices offer no meaningful safety advantage over handheld phones challenges widespread assumptions about 'safer' phone use. What this means for you: the cognitive load from processing phone conversations appears to be the primary safety concern, not just the physical act of holding a device. This research supports the broader understanding that our brains must work harder to process information during RF exposure, whether from the electromagnetic fields themselves or the demanding nature of phone communication.

Study Details

The study was concerned with effects of handsfree and handheld mobile phone dialling and conversation in simulated driving.

In the main experiment dealing with conversation, 48 participants drove a distance of about 70 km on...

Performance on a peripheral detection task (PDT) while driving was impaired by dialling and conversa...

In the dialling experiment, no difference between the two phone modes appeared.

Cite This Study
Tornros JE, Bolling AK. (2005). Mobile phone use-Effects of handheld and handsfree phones on driving performance. Accid Anal Prev. 37(5):902-909, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{je_2005_mobile_phone_useeffects_of_3447,
  author = {Tornros JE and Bolling AK.},
  title = {Mobile phone use-Effects of handheld and handsfree phones on driving performance.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457505000709},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

No, hands-free phones don't make driving significantly safer. A 2005 study of 48 drivers found both handheld and hands-free phones equally impaired drivers' ability to detect peripheral events and maintain vehicle control, indicating the cognitive distraction remains the same regardless of phone type.
Phone conversations while driving markedly increase mental workload according to driving simulation research. The 2005 Tornros study found both dialing and talking impaired drivers' peripheral detection abilities, with participants showing compensatory behaviors like reduced speed but still experiencing significantly elevated mental strain.
Yes, dialing while driving increases lateral position deviation, meaning drivers drift more within their lanes. The 2005 study found this lane-keeping impairment occurred equally with both handheld and hands-free phones, indicating dialing creates dangerous steering control problems regardless of device type.
Drivers instinctively slow down as a compensatory effort to manage increased mental workload from phone use. Research shows this speed reduction occurs during both dialing and conversation, with hands-free dialing causing the greatest speed decrease as drivers attempt to maintain safety.
Phone conversations actually decreased lateral position deviation in one study, suggesting slightly more stable lane positioning. However, this apparent improvement came with significantly increased mental workload and reduced driving speed, indicating overall impairment despite this single measured improvement in lane stability.