Cell Phone Use

The following article appeared in The Journal.

January 12, 2006

Pentagon Limits Cell Phone Use on Military Installations

by JOSN Austin Rice
Journal staff writer

The Defense Department changed regulations Dec. 1 and now requires anyone driving on a military installation to use a hands-free cell phone device.

Military police will cite drivers with a $50 ticket for an infraction. The Pentagon changed its regulations to increase motor vehicle safety on its installations.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to use a cell phone while driving period, whether it's hands-free or not," said HM2 Daniel Quick, a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center dental technician. "Talking while driving diverts your attention away from the road where it should be."

A University of Utah study, titled "Inattention Blindness," helped the Defense Department conclude the new regulations are necessary. The 2001 study found a driver talking on a cell phone has a slower reaction time and is more likely to have an accident.

Researchers also found that talking on a cell phone while driving impairs a driver's ability to process visual information. Drivers, even when looking straight ahead, may not see objects because their attention is diverted.

"What really needs to be clarified is that using a cell phone with a hands free device is still acceptable on post," said Rich Wooters, a Bethesda Safety Office occupational and health specialist. "However, anytime your distracting yourself while driving, it's a danger."

The new cell phone regulations, however, don't affect the Navy's uniform instructions concerning cell phones. The Navy's regulation, released in September, said using a cell phone while in uniform is acceptable as long as it doesn't interfere with rendering proper military courtesies and honors. Sailors may also clip a cell phone to their belt, as long as it's not viewable from the front and does not cause clothing to bunch or sag.