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A new study released today shows that drivers are more distracted by talking on a cell phone than having a conversation with a passenger. The report done by psychologists at the University of Utah also shows that hands-free devices are just as distracting as handheld ones.
The findings in this new report address the issues of whether or not distracted driving comes from cell phone use specifically or conversation generally. When we spoke to drivers this morning, it was no surprise to them that cell phone use was more dangerous.
Jedidiah Robison said, "I think it's far more dangerous to drive and talk on a cell phone."
Jenny Samuelson said, "If someone else is in the car, they will probably be watching the road along with you."
Nearly everyone one we talked to agreed that driving while talking on the cell phone is more dangerous than having an engaging conversation with a person in the passenger seat.
The new study paired 41 mostly young adult drivers with 41 friends who served as conversation partners in three settings -- conversation with a hands-free cell phone, a conversation in the car, and no conversation at all.
Frank Drews, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Utah explained, "We asked them to talk about those stories they hadn't disclosed to the other friend. So now you get a situation where you're really engaged and you want to know what happened to this friend of yours when their life was threatened."
With the help of a simulator, drivers cruised down a 24-mile multilane highway that mimics real highway conditions.
The study found that drivers talking by cell phone drove significantly worse than drivers talking to passengers.
"Having a passenger next to you has a positive impact on your ability to drive the vehicle safely, where talking to someone on a cell phone has a very negative impact," said associate professor Frank Drews. He added, "Cell phone conversations, they last pretty long, 15-20 minutes while people are driving. Especially when they are commuting, they fell comfortable."
The research showed that cell phone users were more likely to drift from their lane, kept a greater distance from other cars, and were four times more likely to miss pulling off at a rest area. Passenger conversation barely affected all three measures.
Robison said, "When you're having a conversation with someone on the phone, you may not be paying as close of attention to the road as possible, whereas if you have a passenger they may actually be reminding you to pay attention to the road during the conversation, watch out for this, watch out for that."
The reports also showed that when driving tasks got more complicated, drivers talked more. "Your hand is busy as well as your mouth and your brain, so all around it's a dangerous thing to be doing," driver Becky Johnston said.
In this new study, researchers found that passengers took an active role in supporting the driver, often talking about the surrounding traffic and other hazards. Researchers say that situational awareness could be helpful in preventing accidents.
In an earlier study, the same group of researchers found a hands-free device made no difference in the level of distraction for drivers.
The findings are being released Monday, Dec. 1 by the American Psychological Association and published in the Dec. 15, 2008, issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
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