While the legislation is very clear regarding driving and handheld mobile phone use, there are still some doubts concerning the use of hands-free ones. France banned the use of hands-free kits and some US states adopted this measure quite some time ago, but in the UK and Ireland it is still possible to use a hands-free device behind the wheel.
The results of a recent study, though, are very likely to present a scenario that cast doubts on the wisdom of using hands-free phones. The study, entitled “Imagery-inducing distraction leads to cognitive tunneling and deteriorated driving performance”, focusses on 3 aspects that affect safety behind the wheel:
1. Dual tasking drivers experience attentional ‘cross talk’ between tasks.
2. Conversation imposes visual demands which interfere with visual perception.
3. Distraction leads to decreased visual awareness and poorer hazard detection.
Results from the study indicate that conversations may use more of the brain’s visual processing resources than previously understood. Having a conversation which requires a driver to use their visual imagination creates competition for the brain’s processing capacity, taking focus away from driving. This results in drivers missing road hazards that they might otherwise have spotted or being distracted while driving, exactly like using a handheld device or texting.
Distracted driving, according to previous research, is a contributing factor in 22% of collisions; and driver reaction times when using mobile phone behind the wheel are actually 30% slower than driving with a blood alcohol level of 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood.
Brake (the road safety charity) and ROSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) are actively seeking to ban the use of hands-free devices behind the wheel in the UK. The RSA (Road Safety Authority of Ireland) recommend never using a hands-free mobile phone when driving: “It will distract you and so it is not safe. If you need to use your mobile, stop your vehicle and call.
