I'm a pilot. I can fly a plane, navigate using WWII era instruments *and* talk to Air Traffic Control at the same time. I guess us pilots must be super-human until we get into a car, where we can't be trusted to use a hands-free mobile phone.

mark, br, belgium

Rather like the idea of banning taxi drivers from talking to the passengers.
Serious point though is that a driver should be doing nothing else while driving, but the law can only get involved where enforcement is possible- so banning phones is possible, banning conversation with passengers is not!

Tony, London,

Another opportunity to scam drivers with more nonsense fines. Anyone would think the government was desperately short of cash. Oh, wait...

Colin Soames, London,

Scandinavian research published about 2 yrs ago found that CONVERSATION while driving was far worse than holding a cellphone and was a major cause of accidents. Authorities paid no attention to that. Michael - what kind of car needs two hands all the time?

paul, Oakland CA, USA

Ban them altogether? Radios, distracting listening to what's being said or music playing. Thinking, that's pretty distracting. Breathing takes concentration, doesn't it? What about driving the car itself, pretty distracting. Let's all walk. Someone paid money for this tosh?

Paul, Milton Keynes, UK

Read the research, not the article.

He is right.

paul, london,

I agree with the research as I have long realised that the problem lies with the brain function not the hands--especially as many drivers participate in business calls which are. by their nature complicated and complex. I have a rule that I do not speak to people whilst they are driving,

dorothy, chester, chester

If you are talking to a passenger and there is a problem they know when to shut up and let you concentrate. The person on the other end of the phone does not know the road conditions and carries on being a distraction when it would be better if they just shut up.

John Macnab, Southampton, England

This can also be taken to mean that driving whilst holding a phone isn't as dangerous as first thought - no more dangerous than driving whilst using hands free, and probably no more dangerous than talkin gto a passenger or listening to the radio or a CD.

A Mark, Birmingham,

What utter nonsense. Mobile phones are dangerous because you need both hands to control the car.

I agree with the comments by Start, Geoff & Pete.

Michael Sims, London, United Kingdom

What I would like to know is how much one's reaction time is slowed by talking on a phone when compared to talking with some else sat within the car? If it's not any lower, then this is a ridiculous debate...

James Stevenson, London,

Presumably a ban should also be extended to include having a conversation with passengers, or having children in the car without a second adult to supervise them

Stuart Riches, Norwich, UK

They will be telling us listening to the radio and having a conversation with a passenger is banned shortly.

Life is a risk and trying to take TOTAL risk out of driving is impossible.

How much were these guys paid to do this research and by whom?

Geoff Camm, Kingswinford, United Kingdom

Doesn't this mean that chatting to passengers whilst driving also "generates mental images that conflict with spatial processing required for safe driving".

Next thing they'll be banning taxi drivers from talking to their passengers!

Pete, Bridgnorth, UK