US Squelched Data on Car Phone Danger

In 2003 a federal agency compiled hundreds of pages of research on the dangers of using cell phones while driving, but suppressed the findings because of pressure from Congress. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a part of the Transportation Department, also planned a long-term study of the risks of cell phone use but never undertook it. Two consumer advocacy groups obtained the findings, which are published today by the New York Times.

Motorists talking on a phone, even hands-free, are four times more likely to cause an accident—the equivalent of driving with a .08 blood alcohol content. Yet the agency walked away from further research, in part because officials feared losing billions in financing if Congress perceived them to be lobbying. "We’re looking at a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up," said one consumer advocate.
(More Department of Transportation stories.)