Are hands-free calls while driving safe?

Drivers could be banned from making hands-free mobile phone calls in England and Wales.

A committee of MPs says current legislation – under which it is illegal to use a handheld phone at the wheel – gives the “misleading impression” that hands-free options are safe.

Labour MP Lilian Greenwood, who chairs the committee, said “any use of a phone distracts from a driver's ability to pay full attention to the road”.

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Are hands-free calls at the wheel safe?

According to a number of experts, the answer is no. A 2016 study by scientists at the University of Sussex found conversations through hands-free devices caused some drivers to visually imagine what was being discussed.

Also, an expert told the MPs' committee that taking a hands-free phone call caused “essentially the same” amount of distraction as being at the legal limit for alcohol blood level in England and Wales.

Joshua Harris, of road safety charity Brake, said studies showed using a hands-free phone “can impair a driver in the same way as a hand-held device and so it makes sense that the law treats these acts equally”.

He added: “One moment's distraction from a phone can cause a lifetime of suffering so our advice to drivers is simple - when you're driving, make sure your phone is on silent and placed out of sight and out of reach”.

How many accidents are caused by calls at the wheel?

In 2017, there were 773 casualties on Britain’s roads, including 43 deaths and 135 serious injuries, in crashes in which the driver was using a mobile phone.

What are the current penalties?

Penalties for using a handheld mobile phone while driving were doubled in 2017 – to six points on a licence and a £200 fine. However, the committee said they should be reviewed and potentially increased further.

Rates of enforcement have dropped by more than two-thirds since 2011, and the committee is urging the government to work with police to make better use of technology and deter offenders.

Enforceability for hands-free calls would be tricky as it's difficult for the police to tell if someone's using a hands-free phone.