While on the subject of myths. Today’s Sydney Morning Herald also tackles another urban myth – claims that driving and using a mobile phone is as dangerous as drink-driving.

The article in the newspaper’s Drive section: “Fact or Fiction – Separating motoring facts from fiction” quotes the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) on the oft-repeated claims that using a mobile phone while driving is as dangerous as drink-driving.

False claims that driving while using a mobile phone is as dangerous as drink driving could undermine safety campaigns by reducing the stigma of driving while drunk, AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said.

He said such a claim was based on mistaken assumptions and an incomplete review of the established research in this area. “More importantly, the comparison could undermine other driver safety campaigns by reducing the stigma of driving whilst drunk and the comparison is considered irresponsible by some road safety authorities,” he said.

“No one is questioning that mobile phone use imposes physical, visual, and cognitive demands on the driver. However, drivers who get behind the wheel after drinking are more likely to take risks. They have reduced perceptions of the risk involved because alcohol impairs judgement.

“A recent Australian study which compared the blood alcohol levels of drivers involved in actual car crashes found the risk of an accident was increased by 25 times at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08. Mobile phones have not been shown to present this level of risk in any research.”

 A Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute study has debunked misleading claims that driving using a mobile phone is as dangerous as drink driving.

The study used sophisticated cameras in cars to provide a clear picture of driver distraction and mobile phone use under real-world driving conditions instead of relying driving simulator in a laboratory.

The study found an “alarming amount of misinformation and confusion” over mobiles. The study shows that talking and listening on a mobile while driving is not nearly as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Text messaging on a mobile was associated with the highest risk of mobile phone-related tasks and had an increased risk of a crash or near crash of 23 times – similar to the increased risk of drink-driving. However, talking and listening on a mobile while driving had a 1.3 times higher risk of crash or near crash and dialing a mobile had a 2.8 times higher risk.

Virginia Tech’s director, Dr Tom Dingus, said: “…talking and listening to a cell phone is not nearly as risky as driving while drunk at the legal limit of alcohol.

“Recent comparisons made in the literature greatly exaggerate the cell phone risk relative to the very serious effects of alcohol use, which increases the risk of a fatal crash approximately seven times that of sober driving.

“Using simple fatal crash and phone use statistics, if talking on cell phones was as risky as driving while drunk, the number of fatal crashes would have increased roughly 50% in the last decade instead of remaining largely unchanged.”