RIVERSIDE – (INT) – ‘Inattention blindness’ is the newest setback to highway safety.

Researchers are finding that there is no difference for drivers in the risks between hands-free and hand-held cell phone conversations. It happens when the brain isn’t seeing what is clearly visible because the driver’s focus is on the phone conversation and not on the road.

Meantime, law enforcement is waging a full court press this month on enforcing the 5-year-old driving ban on hand-held cell phones.

Sgt. Bullen in the Riverside office of the California Highway Patrol was asked if it’s having an effect.

“I haven’t noticed any difference”, he said. I would assume that the expanding generation of on-board gadgets will contribute to inattentive driving.”

Two hundred fifty law enforcement agencies throughout California says they are vowing to prevent distracted driving deaths and injuries.

Story Date: April 17, 2014