make a summary of the passage "Cell Phones and Driving" (Assignment)

Cell Phones and Driving

Recent laws have legislated that drivers must use hands-free cell phones if they are operating a car. Nevertheless, many people contend that when a driver talks on a cell phone, it is the same as conversing with a passenger in the car. However, researchers have discovered that cell phone conversations are far more distracting to a driver than a conversation with a passenger.The difference is that most passenger stop talking when they notice problematic driving conditions.Moreover, passengers in a car can provide additional input to warn the driver when an exit is approaching or another driver is behaving unpredictably.

To compare the effects of drivers' engaging in cell phone conversations to a driver chatting with a passenger in a car, about 100 drivers were placed in a simulator. They were instructed to drive several miles on a highway and to pull off at a specific exit. One set of drivers participated in this experiment while they were talking to a friend in the car, whereas the other drivers chatted on hands-free cell phones.

Almost all the drivers who were talking to a passenger completed the task successfully; in addition, some of their passengers assisted the drivers by providing feedback. However, fifty percent of the cell phone users failed to notice the exit and drove by it. The authors of this experiment concluded that when drivers use hands-free cell phones, their driving skills are reduced so much that their driving ability is equal to a driver under the influence of alcohol.