By Tanya Davis
The state of California, like many other states, has made a decision to ban hand-held cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle. We are approaching the July 1, 2008 deadline. Are the calls to ban mobile phone use on the road premature? Some drivers seem to think that it isn’t the phone at all, it’s the driver. Any activity can lower your driving performance, they say, and the government can’t babysit us while we use the computer, talk on the cell phone, eat lunch---oh yes, and drive.
“I saw a man who was shaving,” one reader complained. “If you’re on the phone, at least you’re looking at the road.”
That’s true; there are a lot of distractions besides talking on the phone. The top driving distractions include the radio, CD, or cassette player, children, pets, food, drink, cigarettes, personal grooming—and phones.
The Insurance Information Institute says that 212 million of us were using cell phones in April of 2007. Many of us drive like drunks when we’re talking on the phone, but we don’t realize it. We think everyone else has the problem.
Motorists who talk on cell phones drive more slowly and more erratically than undistracted drivers, and they are about 9 percent slower to use the brake. Drivers measure about the same level of distraction whether they’re talking or listening, but your risk is slightly higher if you are dialing. One study found that 80 percent of drivers who crashed were distracted in the 3 seconds prior to the crash.
Some states have banned handheld units but allow hands-free devices. Studies both in the U.S. and in Australia show that we’re still bad drivers when we’re using hands-free phones.
Is switching to a hands-free phone the answer?
Researchers have said that it’s not the phone itself, but rather the conversation that distracts us. We become so absorbed in the conversation that we forget to pay attention to the road. Using the phone requires more concentration than talking face-to-face because of the fact that we can’t see the caller’s face. This causes us to miss their expression and body language, hence the deep concentration.
One study points out that pilots are much better drivers than automobile drivers. Airline pilots have to fly while talking face-to-face with crew members and talking on the radio with air traffic controllers. So the researchers took those pilots and studied their driving habits on the road. They were found to be much better drivers than the rest of us. The conclusion was that our driver training needs mirror pilot training by teaching us how to multitask while we drive.
Whether the ban addresses our inattentive driving antics or not, at least it will cut down on one of the most dangerous ways drivers cause crashes. Perhaps drivers who cease to use their hand-held phones will realize the distraction it was causing, and begin to eliminate other distracted driving behaviors as well.
Be careful out there!
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