Specific Absorption Rate Evaluation for Passengers Using Wireless Communication Devices inside Vehicles with Different Handedness, Passenger Counts, and Seating Locations.
Leung S, Diao Y, Chan K, Siu Y, Wu Y. · 2012
View Original AbstractMobile phone use in cars increases radiation absorption by 5%, with even non-users experiencing elevated exposure from vehicle metal structures.
Plain English Summary
Researchers used computer modeling to measure how much radiofrequency energy (SAR) people absorb when using mobile phones inside vehicles versus outdoors. They found that phone users in cars absorb 5% more energy than in open spaces, and surprisingly, even passengers not using phones can absorb significant energy depending on where they sit and how many people are in the car.
Why This Matters
This research reveals an overlooked exposure scenario that affects millions of people daily. The metal structure of vehicles acts like a resonating chamber, concentrating radiofrequency energy and increasing absorption rates for everyone inside - not just the person making the call. What makes this particularly concerning is that passengers who aren't even using devices can experience elevated SAR levels depending on seating arrangements. The 5% increase might seem modest, but when you consider that people spend hours daily in vehicles during commutes, this represents a significant cumulative exposure increase. The science demonstrates that our assumptions about EMF exposure often miss these real-world amplification effects, where the built environment can intensify rather than shield us from wireless radiation.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
In this paper, the specific absorption rate (SAR) induced in mobile phone users inside a vehicle was evaluated using different scenarios, including handedness, passenger counts, and seating locations.
A computer simulation for SAR distributions in a human body was performed based on the finite-differ...
The SAR values in mobile phone users in free space were also compared to those inside a vehicle; res...
By comparing the SAR values between mobile phone users and nonusers inside a vehicle with a passenger count and seating locations, it was observed that the SAR values around the nonusers' body varied much in different situations, and were higher than those in free space, in some circumstances.
Show BibTeX
@article{s_2012_specific_absorption_rate_evaluation_2355,
author = {Leung S and Diao Y and Chan K and Siu Y and Wu Y.},
title = {Specific Absorption Rate Evaluation for Passengers Using Wireless Communication Devices inside Vehicles with Different Handedness, Passenger Counts, and Seating Locations.},
year = {2012},
url = {https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6263283},
}