White Plains, NY - October 30, 2001 |  On the eve of New York imposing a first in the nation statewide ban on hand held cell phone use while driving, a national survey reveals that 45% of drivers who use cell phones on the road agree with a prohibition. However, 40% of them acknowledge that using the alternative - a hands-free phone - is also a distraction.

The Response Insurance National Driving Distractions Survey also revealed that 79% of people who use cell phones while driving say hand-held phones are a distraction to driving, with 44% acknowledging that they themselves are among the distracted. Forty-one percent admit their conversations are not especially urgent when they phone and drive.

With the nation's first statewide ban on hand-held cell phones going into effect on November 1st, the survey also indicates that 73% of drivers who use cell phones have witnessed another cell phone user engaged in a dangerous or illegal driving maneuver while talking on a phone.

"The fact that many drivers realize that hands-free phones are also a distraction confirms the large role that the coversation, rather than the holding of the phone, plays in this problem," said Mory Katz, Chairman of Response Insurance. "This survey and our earlier research point to the fact that drivers need to keep their minds as well as their hands focused on driving."

Response Insurance is the company that sponsored the 1999 survey that helped launch the national debate on driving distractions and cell phone usage. That survey provided the first extensive details about the distracting nature of various activities. Additional survey results and information can be obtained at Additional Press Releases.

Survey Methodology: The "Response Insurance National Driving Distractions Survey" was based on 1,046 interviews conducted 5/3-6/01 among a nationally representative sample of adults 18 years of age and included 525 drivers who use cell phones and 420 non-users. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence. The survey was sponsored by Response Insurance, developed with Leflein Associates, and fielded by Opinion Research Corporation International.