Ninety percent of cell phone owners say they use the phone while driving, according to a report published in 1999. Another report from 2003 indicates that cell phone distraction results in 2,600 deaths, 330,000 injuries, and 1.5 million instances of property damage in the United States each year. Can hands-free devices reduce accidents, fatalities, or damage? No!

In fact, if a hands-free device is not easy to use, a driver who uses it could be even more distracted than by simply holding the phone. Things could get worse: The next generation of communication technology — such as wireless Internet, speech recognition systems, satellite radio, and e-mail — could be far more distracting for drivers, creating even greater risk on the road.