SAN DIEGO – For truck and bus drivers, talking and/or listening on a hands-free or hand-held cell phone while driving “does not significantly affect the odds of involvement in a crash/near crash.

In fact, new research show that “talking/listening on a hands-free cell phone while driving had a ‘protective effect.’”

This from a new study just released by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) in conjunction with the driver monitor experts at DriveCam Inc.

The study, designed to measure the affect of cell-phone distraction in commercial trucks and buses, collected data from over 13,000 trucks and buses and included a total of 1,085 crashes, 8,375 near crashes, 30,661 crash-relevant conflicts and 211,711 baselines (normative driving used in comparison with the safety events).

The results were consistent with another FMCSA-funded study conducted by the VTTI, revealing that commercial drivers are more liable to obey company policies more than they are federal and/or state laws, when it comes to using communication devices.

Here’s how the researchers put it: "The existence of a state cell phone law did not significantly impact drivers’ likelihood of using their cell phone while driving, compared to usage in a state that did not have a law prohibiting cell phone use. Consistent law enforcement is an important element in ensuring the laws are obeyed.

"A driver’s odds of using a cell phone while driving were 17 percent less likely under a fleet cell phone policy compared to a no fleet cell phone policy."

Of course, any cell-phone activity that involves using one’s hands (texting, emailing, dialing, or accessing the Internet) while driving significantly increased the odds of involvement in a crash/near crash.

The findings do not detract from some dangers of distracted driving, the researchers state, but they do shed real light on how commercial drivers — as opposed to private citizens — perform.

Last year, DriveCam and VTTI teamed on an FMCSA-funded study to evaluate the efficacy of the DriveCam Program.

Participants in the program saw upwards of 52 percent reduction in risky driving events during the study.

Both DriveCam and VTTI participated in the recent Distracted Driving Summit, held in Washington, D.C.