A handover priority method for cellular systems based on statistical traffic profile estimates is evaluated in this work through simulation. The scheme is of practical interest as it is simple to compute, easy to implement and it provides network operators with a wide operating interval. The method is examined in scenarios with high mobility and large handover (i.e. overlapping) areas because handover policies are very important for providing QoS in these conditions. Handover performance degradation due to mobility is analysed. The implications of the overlapping area -a larger area decreases the probability of forced termination of ongoing calls to a greater extent than it increases the probability of blocking of new calls -are of practical interest, particularly in the presence of heavy traffic and mobility conditions.