Mobiles: health hazard?
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by David Craik MI Truck drivers could soon be involved in tests to find out if using hand-held mobile phones damages their short-term memory, decision making and reaction time.
Since the start of the year tests involving 18 volunteers have been taking place at Bristol Royal Infirmary to gauge the effect of the microwave radiation emitted by mobile phones.
Test supervisor Alan Preece says the experiments are only the first stage in establishing if there is a problem. Tests could soon be run outside the laboratory to monitor the effects on truck drivers of using them in real-life situations. But the Department of Health, which is funding the £100,000 trials, is reluctant to undertake research into whether hand-held mobile phones can cause brain cancer.
Last year Jack Crossfield of the Drivers' Action Movement reacted to evidence from a team of Australian researchers suggesting such a link by urging hauliers to be more aware of how their drivers use mobile phones.
It has been suggested that, where possible, drivers should get out of the cab while on the phone.
A spokesman for the Department of Health says American research shows no link between mobile phones and the development of brain cancer. The Department will make its decision after the Bristol results are published.