Many states have adopted a hands-off approach to cell phone use while driving; that is, they allow Bluetooth and other hands-free devices, but have made using hand-held cell phones while driving illegal. But does using a hands-free cell phone really make you any less distracted? Not at all, say researchers from the State University of New York at Cortland.

According to researchers from SUNY Cortland, Bluetooth and Bluetooth-type devices slow your reaction time down as much as handheld cell phones do. Their study revealed that drivers require 28 percent more time to remove their foot from the gas pedal while chatting, irrespective of what type of phone they used.

It appears as though the overall distraction caused by conversation is more to blame for slower reaction time than is holding or not holding a device in hand.