Motorists who use cellphones while driving make as many, if not more, driving errors as clinically drunk drivers, according to educational psychologist Professor Michael Townsend. He says the proposed ban on hand-held cellphone use by drivers is long overdue.
In an observational study he published two years ago, Professor Townsend found that 4 per cent of the 8700 central Auckland motorists sighted were using cellphones while driving.
He believes the percentage will have risen in line with the increase in cellphone connections.
International research has shown that using a cellphone when driving results in “cognitive overload,” causing the same or higher rates of driver error as a drunk driver, he says.
The risk of collision is four times greater when driving while using a cell phone, while the risk of a collision resulting in death is nine times higher.
"While 4 per cent might not sound sufficient to justify a ban, people can better comprehend the level of danger by imagining – as they drive home on a busy motorway – that one in every 25 cars coming towards them is being driven by a clinically drunk driver."
Concentrating on a conversation, not simply the physical act of holding a cell phone, is what distracts the driver. "The nature of the conversation matters too, with deep and meaningful dialogues creating a greater distraction and added risk than small talk."
Professor Townsend admits to having been won over by cellphones having ardently refused to carry one until three months ago.
He says he can now understand the compulsion to answer a cell phone call when driving because he has done so himself. He even admits to having sent a text message while in a line of slow-moving traffic.
"A ban would act as a deterrent for many people whose inclination to use a cell phone while driving prevails over common sense and self-preservation."
Between 2002 and last year there were 411 injury crashes and 26 fatal crashes in which the use of cell phones were implicated.
Source: Massey University
Related stories:
100-mpg plug-in hybrids popping up in US
Although many people would like to drive more fuel-efficient vehicles, most of us have to wait for the large vehicle manufacturers to mass-produce affordable cars that run on alternative power. In the meantime, a handful of smaller companies have begun taking the energy crisis into their own hands. By retrofitting hybrids like the Toyota Prius with a second battery pack, they´re converting these cars into hybrid plug-ins that can recharge from a wall outlet and drive a short commute on all electric power.
Switching it up: How memory deals with a change in plans
You're about to leave work at the end of the day when your cell phone rings: it's your spouse, asking that you pick up a gallon of milk on the way home. Before you head out the door, though, your spouse calls again and asks you to stop by the hardware store too. Based on your knowledge of the area and rush-hour traffic, you decide to get the milk first and the toilet plunger second. But whoops! The phone rings again. This time, it's your boss, asking you to work late. That means another change of plans.
Cellular annoyance
Annoying mobile communications abroad
The results of a multi-national survey to be published in the
International Journal of Mobile Communications reveals some surprises about cell phone use that have implications for organizations that rely on mobile communications. The study was undertaken by Robert Nickerson and Brenda Mak of San Francisco State University working with Henri Isaac of the University Paris-Dauphine.
Psychologist offers tips to remember more in today's high-tech world
Today's technology has brought instant access to important information at our fingertips. It's also overwhelmed us with more things to remember -- from computer logins, passwords and codes, to instructions on how to run today's latest gadgets. And some people find it hard to remember it all.
Study shows just listening to cell phones significantly impairs drivers
Carnegie Mellon University scientists have shown that just listening to a cell phone while driving is a significant distraction, and it causes drivers to commit some of the same types of driving errors that can occur under the influence of alcohol.
Students with cell phones may take more risks, study finds
Carrying a cell phone may cause some college students – especially women – to take risks with their safety, a new study suggests.
New research project captures traffic data using GPS-enabled cell phones
Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and Nokia tested technology that could soon transform the way drivers navigate through congested highways and obtain information about road conditions. In the unprecedented field experiment, transportation researchers tested the feasibility of using GPS-enabled mobile phones to monitor real-time traffic flow while preserving the privacy of the phones' users.
Cell phone sensors detect radiation to thwart nuclear terrorism
Researchers at Purdue University are working with the state of Indiana to develop a system that would use a network of cell phones to detect and track radiation to help prevent terrorist attacks with radiological "dirty bombs" and nuclear weapons.