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April 6, 2006: Does Cell Phone Conversation Impair Driving Ability?

I think many of us, sadly enough, have resorted to driving "while under the influence of cell phones," whether holding the cell phone up to your ear, using a headset, or even the loudspeaker that is common on so many cell phones today. It's been proven that physical manipulation of cell phones while operating a vehicle (such as holding the phone to your ear), can increase your chances of having an accident by a noticeable amount. But how about talking through a simple headset, when your hands are free to operate the vehicle?

I would have to compare this to having a conversation with someone who is physically in your car. My personal opinion is that, yes, having someone in the car increases my chance of having an accident, and reduces my driving ability by a small amount. It seems to me that it would be extremely difficult for the brain to process two simultaneous stimuli (driving and unconsciously thinking of what to say), as it has been proven the brain is not so much of a multi-tasker as it is a quick prioritizer.

David Strayer, Frank Drews, Robert Albert and William Johnston received published an article on the nsc.org web site (http://www.nsc.org/issues/idrive/inincell.htm) describing their research into the question: Does Cell Phone Conversation Impair Driving Performance? Here's what they found out.

Their study consisted of four different control groups - the first group included people who used a handheld phone, the second group included people who instead used a hands-free device, and the third and fourth groups included drivers who listened to the radio and a book on tape, respectively.

The experiment apparatus consisted of a joystick that was used to control a small cursor, and a computer screen that displayed a moving object - the idea was to move the cursor to follow the moving target. Whenever a study participant saw a green light on their computer screen, they were instructed to do nothing and continue . However, when they saw a red light flash, they were to press a "brake" button on their joystick.

Interestingly, a preliminary test showed no difference between the two cell phone groups (the hands-free group and the handheld phone group), and between the radio/books on tape group. The researchers then decided to group together the cell phone users as one group, and the other users in a separate group.

The results should not be much of a surprise.

When the participants were asked to operate the joystick WTIHOUT any outside interference, their probability of missing the red light was about 4%. Study participants who were part of the radio/book on tape control group also scored in the 4% area. However, once a cell phone (whether it was through a headset or otherwise) was introduced, the probability of missing shot up to an alarming 9%.

In other words, the participants who were engaged in conversation missed twice as many traffic lights as did the participants who listened to the radio or to a book on tape. And it's probably not too difficult to see why - listening to a radio or a tape doesn't require any kind of active response from the driver. He or she can ignore the noise at will to concentrate on driving. However, the conversations are two-ways: they require the driver to be a listener AND a speaker, and the brain must be able to respond within a certain amont of time to keep the conversation going.

The bottom line is: cell phones and driving don't mix. And that's whether you use a headset or not.

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