hands free devices are still quite risky. For instance: http://www.antiwrap.com/?902 Cell Phone-Induced Failures of Visual Attention During Simulated Driving David L. Strayer, Frank A. Drews, and William A. Johnston Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. 2003, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2332
This research examined the effects of hands-free cell phone conversations on simulated driving. The authors found that these conversations impaired driver's reactions to vehicles braking in front of them. The authors assessed whether this impairment could be attributed to a withdrawal of attention from the visual scene, yielding a form of inattention blindness. Cell phone conversations impaired explicit recognition memory for roadside billboards. Eye-tracking data indicated that this was due to reduced attention to foveal information. This interpretation was bolstered by data showing that cell phone conversations impaired implicit perceptual memory for items presented at fixation. The data suggest thatthe impairment of driving performance produced by cell phone conversations is mediated, at least in part, by reduced attention to visual inputs. -- Here's my take on the whole issue. My background is in cognitive psychology, specifically attention research - my dissertation was on the impact of distraction on the visual attentional performance of high, medium and low hypnotically susceptible participants. One of the models of attentional processing uses a resource pool analogy - we have a limited amount of attentional processing resources. As you increase the demands of what needs be attended, there is less available attention to other tasks. Since cell phones and remote conversation require far more attention than many other tasks, fewer attentional resources are available for driving. This means that the critical cues and features (ie., the SUV in front of you suddenly braking) are more likely missed than if there was no distractors. larry On 2/22/06, James Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I think that the data also show that a hands free device isn't enough. > > One of the studies I cited yesterday looked at that as one of > > the side conditions. Using a hand-free device showed > > significant reductions in the simulated driving tasks. > > I think the principal is that talking on a hands free is comparable to > chatting with a passenger, and unless you are going to ban passengers (which > would really screw up taxi companies :) then it is hard to justify banning > the hands free phone. > > -- > Jay > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:197728 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
