Kids Shouldn't Cross Street While Talking on Phone

In a report published in last month's issue of Pediatrics, researchers found that preteens participating in an interactive simulation were more likely to suffer a virtual accident if they talked on the phone while crossing a street. The experiment showed talking on the phone increased the odds of being hit or almost hit by a virtual car from 8.5 to 12%, a 43% increase in risk. The study follows several others that have shown that talking on the phone interferes with the attention and visual processing skills of drivers, and may make the risk of an automobile accident four times as likely. Read more.