Phone use while driving, should it ALL be banned?

I was looking through responses to the drink driving thread, which generally seems to have gone off topic onto other things that are dangerous too.

I was interested in CB Saint's quote from a Times article about a study. Sorry I don't have the actual study, but I have heard similar before and I'm sure somebody will produce some evidence either way:

It found that a driver’s reaction times slowed by 46% when he or she was making a call on a hand-held mobile, by 37% when texting while driving and by 27% during hands-free calls.

For those on the drink-drive limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, reaction times were reduced by 13%

So the question is, taking these figures as somewhere near correct, if it's so much more dangerous than being over the alcohol limit (far more dangerous than four times the limit of some countries) should ALL mobile phone use, including bluetooth, be banned from driving?

I would imagine that people are so attached to their phones now that the very idea of a blanket ban would be horrific to many.

Obviously, people will take this discussion whichever way they like, but it's not really about the fact that music/passengers/children/drinking a coffee can also be distracting, in the same way you don't need to argue that guns should be legal because a plastic bag can also kill.

I use mine for maps. What's the difference between that and the old school method of following written down directions?

Obviously, people will take this discussion whichever way they like, but it's not really about the fact that music/passengers/children/drinking a coffee can also be distracting, in the same way you don't need to argue that guns should be legal because a plastic bag can also kill.

What?

Anyways, was it during the actual talking via a hands free device where peoples' reaction times were slowed? Or was it the dialing and interacting with the phone that caused the slow reaction time? If it's not the latter than that means people have lost the ability to talk and drive.

Did they work out the effect of two children in the back?

Did they work out the effect of two children in the back?

...or your wife in the front?.

Those figures are rubbish. I've never believed anything derived from a study produced on a driving simulator. In what way is talking on a hands-free phone different from talking to your passenger? And what about the safety aspect of being able to call someone and leg them know you're going to be late? Personally I never make a call unless I'm parked or on a quiet stretch of motorway.

If all hands free / blue tooth into the car audio system phone calls are banned, small/ medium businesses like mine wouldn't survive long. I do a lot of work whilst travelling to and from sites.

I think if you are caught on your phone whilst driving, they (the police, if they have video evidence) should crush it in front of you straight away. No ifs or buts. Might make people think twice about using them.

I don't have a problem with it, in fact I'm typing this while driving. Ohhh, shiiiiiiiit. Aarrgghhh.

I work on the road and the only time I get to make calls is when driving. I use the voice command/hands free to make these calls. As someone has mentioned, it's no different to talking to a passenger. In fact, it's probably safer as there's no gesturing.

I'd say following a sat nav is more dangerous than having a conversation. And it's subjective. Some will be more distracted than others.

Those figures are rubbish. I've never believed anything derived from a study produced on a driving simulator. In what way is talking on a hands-free phone different from talking to your passenger? And what about the safety aspect of being able to call someone and leg them know you're going to be late? Personally I never make a call unless I'm parked or on a quiet stretch of motorway.

A difference is those on the phone will talk regardless of what is happening on the road, whereas those in the car tend to be aware of road conditions.