Can I use hands-free cell phone device while driving?

I know talking on the phone while driving is bad but my job requires that I am constantly on the phone. Is it safe to use a hands-free device while driving? Peter? Jimmy

Hello Peter, the Ugandan traffic laws permit the use of hands free devices to talk on your phone while you drive because they are considered safer than use of hand held phones. However, research carried out by the National Safety Council in the United States of America and our local experience reveals that a significant percentage of accidents or crashes involve cell phone conversations with hand held or hands free devices.  Some research even suggest talking on a phone using a hands-free device may be more dangerous than driving when you are tipsy or drunk because users are lulled into a false sense of security. The resultant crashes lead to property damage and loss of life. 

Hands-free devices range from Bluetooth earpieces, externally installed units or those designed with the vehicle audio or infotainment system. The biggest unknown dangers of using hands free cellphone devices include reduced brain performance (cognitive and response time) and distraction (reduced alertness and attentiveness). When listening or speaking on the phone, the ability of your brain to process moving objects or images can be reduced by up to a third, even when you are looking at the road. Some quarters argue that the amount of distraction when using a hands free device to talk on phone is the same as when you talk to a passenger in your car. 

In reality, the passenger in the car may be able to alert you about dangers you may not have noticed. The US National Safety Council (NSC) studies reveal that 24 per cent  of traffic accidents are caused by motorists talking on phone using hand held or hands-free devices. 
In 2018, statistics, the US NSC revealed that 13 per cent of the distraction affected crashes involving cell phone usage were fatal and claimed 2,841 people.