The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says US Congress members pressured them to suppress(証拠などを隠す)data from a 2003 study indicating that cell phone use behind the wheel(運転して、ハンドルを取って)leads to an increasing number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities on the road. According to the NHTSA, cell phone use by drivers caused 955 fatalities and about 240,000 accidents in 2002. Furthermore, the use of hands-free devices only partly relieves the problem, as the main accident risk is caused by the conversation itself, which distracts drivers and draws their focus away from the road. NHTSA officials say Congress threatened to withhold funding if the information was released.