MANY drivers tool around town or take long drives with cell phone in hand, one eye on the road but their mind clearly someplace else. Supposedly, devices that enable one to keep both hands on the wheel make it less likely that one will have an accident.

Not so, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Research by the insurance group suggests that a hands-free device does not have any advantage over a hand-held phone while driving. The distraction of a phone conversation itself seems to be sufficient to cause drivers to pay less attention to what they are doing on the road.

The institute found that using either type of phone while driving increased fourfold the risk of accidents causing injuries, which may be of interest to states that are moving to ban the use of hand-held phones while driving. New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia prohibit talking on hand-held phones when driving. Connecticut plans to ban hand-held phones while driving Oct. 1.

Eight states do not allow local governments to ban the use of cell phones altogether while driving, only one of which - Kentucky - borders on Ohio. Studies in western Australia and Canada have shown the link between cell phone use of any kind and driving as a cause of accidents. So far the institute has not been able to get access to telephone records in the United States to do a study here, but the Australian and Canadian numbers are revealing.

A study is hardly necessary, however. Just watch somebody who appears to be driving carelessly or even recklessly, and there is an excellent chance he or she will be on a cell phone. A Harvard study estimates that use of cell phones by drivers may be the cause of 2,600 traffic deaths annually, and a University of Utah study concluded that cell phone gabbing while driving may be more dangerous than driving while legally drunk.

Perhaps people will quibble with the statistics, but it is stupid to take a chance. Too many people don't simply use cell phones for quick calls such as those phoning to say they will be late for dinner or seeking route information. These typically are people who simply can't go for any length of time without having a heart-to-heart talk with some friend or acquaintance.

Drivers are asked to buckle up or risk a ticket. They should also button up when the call is not absolutely necessary, for their own safety as well as that of others on the road.

First Published July 14, 2005, 9:42 a.m.