In the United States, text messaging while driving has been banned in 41 states. According to research from Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute, hands free texting while driving is just as dangerous as manual text messaging.

In the United States, text messaging while driving has been banned in 41 states.

According to research from Texas A&M University’s Transportation Institute, hands free texting while driving is just as dangerous as manual text messaging.

The study involved a group of 43 subjects driving around a closed course in three conditions: either not text messaging at all, manually text messaging, or while using a voice text messaging program on their smartphone like Siri on an iPhone or Vlingo for Android.

The results of the study show that “response times were significantly delayed no matter which texting method was used.”

Mental distraction from driving appears to be the main problem caused by using a cell phone while behind the wheel.

But the authors of the study are also quoted as saying that “a driver more accustomed to using those applications might have executed the task more efficiently,” because half of the participants in the study do not have voice texting on their phones, and 80 percent of the subjects said they had rarely or never used voice to text on a cell phone before.

What do you think about the results of the study? Is hands free texting any safer while driving?