A student talks on a hands-free cell phone while operating a high-tech driving simulator, University of UtahMost of us don’t get behind the wheel of a car after drinking too much. But who doesn't talk on a cell phone when they drive? It’s so convenient. Call the office from the road, check in on the kids, get the grocery list for dinner on the way home. What's not to like about this instant connectivity? Except this. New research about talking on a cell phone and driving is so scary that 6 states now ban hand-held cell phones in the car. Is talking on your cell while behind the wheel really the new drunk driving? Join the conversation on driving and dialing with host Kathleen McCoy on Hometown, Alaska this afternoon at 2:00 pm on KSKA.
- Alaska State Troops: Visual Display Laws (VIDEO)
- University of Utah: Applied Cognition Laboratory
- National Safety Council: Risk of Using a Cell Phone While Driving, Key Research Studies
- New York Times: Driven to Distraction
- Governors Highway Safety Association: State Cell Phone Driving Laws
- Drivers on Cell Phones Are as Bad as Drunks - University of Utah News Release (29 June 2006)
- All Things Considered: Utah Tackles Texting and Driving Problem Head-On
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HOST: Kathleen McCoy, independent journalistGUESTS:
- Lt. Ken Spadafora, traffic division, Anchorage Police Department
- Eric Murphy, behavioral psychologist, University of Alaska Anchorage
- Mo Hillstrand, neurologist nurse practitioner, Alaska Neurology Center
LIVE: Wed, September 23, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.REPEAT: Wed, September 23, 2009 at 10:00 p.m.