Matt1962 wrote:Astraist wrote:It definitely more hazardous to hold the phone, but the difference in risk level compared to hands free isn't necessarily as pronounced as one might assume.
Maybe, but the crucial distinction is: holding a phone and operating it involves inevitable driving impairment; having a hands free phone connected doesn't.
I think it is quite possible for the demands of driving to be sufficiently low for a driver to manage holding a phone at the same time. The same applies to using a hands-free phone. Apart from not contravening the prohibition, using a hands-free phone simply provides more opportunities to use the phone safely. I'm surprised that having put so much effort into defending the capacity of drivers to manage risk using hands-free that you dismiss that possibility so readily for hand-held use.