AMTA is committed to working with the community to help raise drivers’ awareness of safe and responsible practices of using hands-free mobile phones, which are not a guarantee of safety in all road conditions and driving situations.

AMTA Chief Executive Officer said the mobile telecommunications industry had engaged in a wide range of partnerships with road safety experts, motoring organizations, transport ministers and police to raise awareness of safety issues linked to the use of legal hands-free devices in motor vehicles.

“We have made it clear that although a hands-free mobile can reduce the physical effort to make or receive a call, drivers should avoid making calls in heavy traffic or bad weather conditions and they should not engage in distracting, complex or emotional conversations,” he said.

“We believe that by adhering to existing laws and some simple commonsense practices, drivers can make safe use of mobile phones while enjoying the substantial public safety and personal security benefits they also provide.

“The mobile industry does not question that mobile phone use imposes physical, visual, and cognitive demands on the driver and we are not advocating the existing ban on hand-held use in Australia be changed.

“While technology can help to address physical and visual demands of mobile phone use in vehicles, education is required to remind drivers not to be distracted by mobile phones while driving and reinforce the current ban on hand-held use. Therefore, the most useful action governments can take is to educate drivers about the appropriate and safe use of wireless communications products in vehicles.”

New research from NRMA Insurance, released this week, found Generation X are the biggest talkers behind the wheel, with more than half (52 per cent) admitting to using their mobiles while driving.

The revelation dispels the myth that Generation Y are bigger mobile users while driving, with only one in three (37 percent) admitting to doing so. For those over 40, the figure drops to one in four (24 per cent).

NRMA Insurance spokesperson John Hallal said drivers put themselves at increased risk of a crash when they attempt to combine driving with another task.

“While we were surprised that Generation X scored so highly, the figures are a concern for all age brackets,” said Mr Hallal.

“And although many mobile phone users do tend to use hands-free technology while driving, the conversation always has the potential to distract the driver from what is happening on the road.”

“We are encouraging all drivers to stop in a safe place to make a call or send a text and then continue the drive with your mind focused on negotiating the traffic."

Mr Althaus said it was counterproductive to single out mobile phones as the only distraction facing drivers and exclude a range of others for attention.

Australian research, conducted by Monash University’s Accident Research Centre(MUARC), found the effects of distraction were more pronounced during car stereo tasks than during hands-free mobile phone tasks.

Mr Althaus said pulling over to the side of the road to make calls was not always the answer because it could raise its own safety issues if it created a hazard for other vehicles.

AMTA’s safe driving tips can be viewed at Consumer Tips www.amta.org.au