Last year in California, an exception to a statewide ban on texting while behind the wheel was made in order to allow for drivers that simply couldn’t wait until they arrived at their destinations to use hands-free devices to send messages to their contacts while on the road. It was a victory for the text slinging motorist. Recent research collected by ADEPT Driver suggests that the exception was a mistake, however, and the law stands to be remade once again to prevent hands-free text messaging while driving.

The research, conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (ITT (News - Alert)), was taken from 46 drivers in real vehicles on a closed course. The subjects were made to drive while texting the old fashioned tactile way, the newly legal hands-free way, and the very old-fashioned not-at-all way. What the results reveal may surprise you.

Hands-free texting, according to the ITT’s research, is just as unsafe, if not more so, than physically using a phone to write a message while driving. During the study, regardless of the method of texting, the amount of time that drivers spent looking at the road was greatly reduced, as was their reaction time. Regardless of how they were doing it, texting drivers took about twice as long to react.

Hands-free technology is in a state of constant refinement to a point where some providers of the service boast that it’s always on. Some hand-free services built to help manage businesses actually list the ability to perform text-related functions like checking e-mail while driving as major features. Dr. Richard Harkness, CEO of ADEPT Driver, implies that this research summary won’t come as a shock to the car companies, saying, "Auto manufacturers recognize the risk of texting while driving, so we applaud those that install technology to disable the texting function when car wheels are moving. We also commend cell phone providers for spending millions to promote 'texting can wait' campaigns.”

The exception made for the California ban on texting and driving stands to be rescinded very soon with AB313, authored by assembly member Jim Frazier, set to be heard in the California Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 1st. This is, according to Dr. Harkness, an appropriate time, as April is the National Safety Council’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month.