Cell Phone Vs. Hand Free Phone

Thesis Statement: All of us have driven a vehicle before are and based on my survey results almost all of you have been distracted while driving, if not texted before. Today, we will learn about some of the outcomes of texting then we will discuss some of the solutions to permit these outcomes from happening.

The evolution of the cell phone and their multiple capabilities has led to distractive driving that

There are both cognitive and physical factors that contribute to accidents when drivers talk on their cell phones and/or text behind the wheel. The primary cognitive factor is that an individual’s attention is divided when he or she is paying attention to more than one thing at a time (Goldstein, 2011). For example, a driver’s attention is on the road and perhaps how far the car ahead of him/her is, but at the same time is also trying to read a text message on a cellular device. This divided attention reduces the reaction speed and driving performance of the driver because there are not as many cognitive resources available to focus his/her attention on the most important thing: driving. When the driver is processing

Most teens, and even adults, use their cellphones while they drive. They think a quick text or call won’t hurt while they are at a red light. They call it multitasking, and think that since they have a hand on the wheel they are fine. In the articles “How The Brain Reacts” by Marcel Just and Tim Keller, and “The Science Behind Distracted Driving” by KUTV, Austin they describe how the mind is working in the cellphone situation.

1). Texting and using a cell phone are the two most common distractions while driving (“Distracted” para. 1). It Can Wait campaign has started to stop drivers from using handheld devices (“Distracted” para. 3). Distractions affect one’s driving performance (“Distracted” para. 5). Drivers are distracted around half the time they drive (“Distracted” para. 5).15% to 25% of crashes on all levels are caused by distraction (“Distracted” para. 5). Texting increases the driving risk, even more than regular cell phone use (“Distracted” para. 5). When cops fill out crash reports, the states should keep track of them (“Distracted” para. 6). There are many distraction while driving that may cause the driver to take focus off the road (“Distracted” para. 8). Some distraction that everyone does is : changing the radio or a CD, talking to passenger, and observing the event outside the vehicle (Distracted para. 8). There are effects on telematics on driving behaviors (“Distracted” para. 9). Some say that the electronic device companies need to inform the public about the real use of these devices (“Distracted” para.

Lately, cell phone distraction while driving has been a hot topic on the radio and television, with people giving their opinion or sharing experiences. Cell phone usage and other distraction are causing an increase in accidents. Text messaging has been around for about a dozen years , with public surveys showing overwhelming agreement that it's a dangerous distraction ( Halsey ).

Seventy-five participants were evaluated in this study (p. 65). The participants were then divided into two age groups, novice and young adults (p. 65). All participants reported regular use of cell phones and texting during driving (p. 65). They were randomly assigned to conditions of texting while driving or having a cell phone conversation while driving (p. 65). During the simulated driving condition, there was an abundance of driving errors including; fluctuations in speed, lane deviance and lane change safety (p. 67). Both conditions of cell phone conversation and texting significantly affected driving performance in a negative way, between both of these conditions texting while driving was found to be the most detrimental (p. 67). Furthermore, these researchers concluded that age and experience made no difference when it came to accuracy of driving (p. 68). People often believe that due to their experience with texting and driving, it will have no negative effects on their driving. However, this study demonstrates otherwise. Experience with texting and driving provides no asset when it comes to distracted

Researchers Liang and Lee differentiated the effects of various types of distraction on driving performance in a medium simulator study: visual, cognitive distraction and a combination of both. The results showed that visual distraction more often interferes with driving performance than cognitive one and it dominates the performance during the combination of both. They finally drew in to a conclusion that for an effective driving performance, visual demand and voice interaction are particularly very much important in tackling of above issues.

Many people take pride in the fact that they can multitask. A study “Task Switching” conducted by Monsell concluded that multitasking, or switching

“A distracted driver may fail to see up to 50% of the available information in the driving environment. You may look but not actually “see” what is happening. Focus of the driver is not on the road or traffic and it becomes difficult to handle phone and vehicle at one time. Cell phones during driving also reduce the mental capacity of drivers as they fail to concentrate on minor or major activities happening around them. Cell phones distract drivers' attention resulting in comparatively slow response to traffic signals and other related traffic events. Studies have shown the fact that breaking reaction time is also slower while talking on a cell phone during driving. The perception, vision, general awareness, and concentration of the driver are impacted while communicating on a cell phone during driving. Especially during bad weather or driving on slippery roads, drivers engaging in conversation pay less attention to these areas increasing risks of fatal accidents.

Using a cell phone while driving has become the biggest manual distraction while driving.  According to a study, conducted by The University of Utah (2013),

Studies conducted from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that using a cell phone while driving significantly impairs a driver’s reaction time and triples the risk of being involved in a crash or near-crash, and text messaging increases crash risk by a multiple of 8 for all ages (NHTSA, 2009). Situational awareness is significantly decreased while engaging in distracted driving, and in turn inattention blindness is increased drastically creating a potentially deadly situation on the roads. A driver who is multitasking has less brain function available and thus literally fails to see or pay attention to things that are squarely in the field of vision (Texting and Driving, 2010). On the other hand there are those that may be able to multitask successfully though the challenge is

According to Kellogg, attention is being able to select certain aspects of an environment or certain thoughts. However, multitasking attention can become difficult to achieve because attention can either be selective or limited. A selective attention means that an individual can only focus on one stimuli, therefore, having to ignore surrounding stimuli. On the other hand, limited attention defines the maximum capacity an individual can retain information. Therefore, because attention is selective and limited, when dividing attention into two tasks it can lead to negative consequences (Kellogg, 2016). A real world example of an individual performing a task that requires divided attention is texting and driving at the same time. Therefore, due to restrictions on attention, which are selective and limited, cause sending a text message impair an individual’s driving performance. As a result, driving distractions are due to the effects of dividing attention into two actions which are composing a text message and maintaining the car in the designated lane.

Texting while driving has developed into a growing danger amongst many drivers. Driving requires full attention at all times; moreover, texting impairs the drivers’ abilities, causing his or her reaction time to decrease dramatically. When his or her full attention is on the phone rather than on the road, the driver is unable to witness the traffic; therefore, causing a collision due to lack of focus. When both hands are on the phone texting, the driver easily loses control of the vehicle because of his or her inability to concentrate on the road. Improper driving is an unnecessary risk to

alone every year. The issue of driving while talking on a cell phone has become serious enough that five states have passed laws prohibiting this type of act and making it a primary offense to do so. Not only are drivers talking behind the wheel, but many have admitted to engaging in even more potentially dangerous behavior with their phones such as text messaging and surfing the internet. A distracted driver is a dangerous one. If you are focused on a conversation and your eyes are not on the road, drivers cannot be expected to make a quick and safe decision should the need for one arise. The behavior of a driver while using a cell phone has been compared to that of one driving while under the influence. Studies have shown that those who use a cell phone while driving are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than those who don’t.