Abstract
Just over ten years after hand-held mobiles were banned at the wheel, Brake is renewing its call to ban hands-free kits, as a Brake and Direct Line survey reveals that almost half (45%) of drivers admit to chatting when driving. While the use of hand-held phones by drivers has dropped, hands-free use has risen, likely to be linked to the mistaken belief that it is a safe alternative. Brake and Direct Line's survey reveals: * Almost half (45%) of drivers admit to talking on a phone at the wheel, down from 54% in 2006; * Hand-held use has dropped to one in eight (13%), from over a third (36%) in 2006; and * Hands-free use has risen to nearly four in 10 (38%), from one in five (22%) in 2006. (Author/publisher)