A 1997 study by The New England Journal of Medicine found that talking on a mobile phone while driving may quadruple the risk of having a serious accident. In fact, the research showed that this practice is as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Interestingly, the study also showed no significant difference between the use of hand-held and hands-free phones. This may indicate that it is the loss of concentration, not the maneuvering of the device, that distracts drivers.