Driving and mobile phones

Mobile-phone use while driving is common but controversial. While few jurisdictions have banned motorists from using cell phones while driving outright, some have banned or restricted drivers from using hand-held cell phones while exempting phones used by a hand-free method. It is generally agreed that using a mobile phone while driving is a distraction that brings risk of road traffic accidents. However, some studies have found similarly elevated accident rates among drivers using hand-held and hand-free phones, suggesting that the distraction of a telephone conversation itself is the main safety problem.

Use of handheld mobile phones by drivers is illegal in most European countries . Use of hands-free mobiles is permitted. Similar laws exist in the U.S. states of New York, Connecticut, and California. In the UK it has been an offence since December 2003 and carries a fixed penalty of £30 rising to £1000 if convicted in court.