New study points to dangers of drivers with cellphones

This won't come as a surprise to anyone who has had to share a highway with a driver who's carrying on an animated phone conversation while also attempting to maneuver his car, but it's a serious situation nonetheless. A new study has determined that cellphone-wielding drivers — and young drivers in particular — are responsible for thousands of traffic accidents. The study, by the journal Human Factors, determined that cellphone usage causes 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the U.S. each year. Young drivers were singled out as having reduced reaction times — the study's author said that a 20-year-old driver with a cellphone has the reaction time of a 70-year-old without one. The study is consistent with previous research that found behind-the-wheel cellphone-usage — even with hands-free headsets — to pose serious risks.