I read somewhere (although not in Traffic, a book I highly recommend) that the effect of a cell phone is two fold. First the driver is distracted. Second, the driver's peripheral vision deteriorates, creating a "tunnel vision" scenario. The tunnel vision is reported to last for some period of time AFTER the cell phone conversation ends. (I remembered the source -- a book called The Unthinkable. Also a very interesting book.)
But, neither an in car conversation nor a cell phone conversation can hold a candle to the distraction caused by trying to TEXT in traffic. That should just plain be outlawed!
This is a report out of the UK:
Drivers who talk on a mobile at the wheel suffer from a lethal form of tunnel vision - even if the phone is hands free.
Scientists have discovered that talking on a mobile causes 'inattention blindness' which slows reaction time and cuts drivers' awareness of their surroundings by up to half.
The researchers warned that mobile users who believe they are driving safely because they have a hands-free kit are fooling themselves as it is the conversation itself which is distracting, rather than the way in which it is conducted.
Researchers monitored the reaction times, motoring style and performance of 110 men and women driving 40 miles in a simulator.
Talking on a hands-free phone reduced the amount of visual information they processed by about 50 per cent.
There was no difference between using a handsfree or hand-held mobile phone. 'You are impaired in both cases,' said Professor Strayer.
The researchers then used an eye tracking device to find out where the subjects were looking while using the simulator.
They discovered that, while the drivers looked at objects around them - including road signs, other vehicles and traffic lights (and presumably cyclists...)- as they drove, they could not remember seeing them if they were talking on the phone.
"Even though your eyes are looking right at something, when you are on the cellphone, you are not as likely to see it. This is a variant of something called inattention blindness.'
Drivers who were listening to music, audio books or talking to a passenger did not suffer the same problem, he added.
The research is published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology.
