Some time ago we had reported about drivers on the mobile phone slows down traffic. Now new research has shown that even listening to a cell phone while driving is a significant distraction and might cause to commit same types of errors that can occur under the influence of alcohol.
Research done by Carnegie Mellon University scientists suggests that listening to the phone grabs 37 percent of brain activity associated with driving. Due to this drivers may commit mistakes such as weaving out of their lane etc.
Also study has found out that, making calls from hands-free or other speaker solutions are not sufficient for eliminating distractions to drivers.
“Drivers need to keep not only their hands on the wheel; they also have to keep their brains on the road,” said neuroscientist Marcel Just, director of the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging.
The research is based on 29 volunteers’ study, who used driving simulator while inside an MRI brain scanner. And they were listening to a person, asking them true or false questions through headphones. The survey concluded with the result stating drivers lose 37-percent of attention while listening to the phone.
Talking on the phone would be more dangerous as compared to talking to the passenger sitting in the car as realizing the hard traffic condition, passenger may stop talking.
The researchers also said that not only calls but also entertainment devices like Pods and even DVD players can divert drivers’ mind in difficult traffic conditions. “Drivers’ seats in many vehicles are becoming highly instrumented cockpits,” Just said, “and during difficult driving situations, they require the undivided attention of the driver’s brain.”
Hence drivers should not take any risk by attending phone calls while driving. A small diversion of attention can even lead to the death.
