{"id":119,"date":"2008-12-06T14:15:19","date_gmt":"2008-12-06T22:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stevenrbrandt.com\/wordpress\/?p=119"},"modified":"2010-09-04T05:27:24","modified_gmt":"2010-09-04T13:27:24","slug":"hands-free-cell-vs-talking-to-a-passenger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stevenrbrandt.com\/?p=119","title":{"rendered":"Hands-free Cell vs. Talking to a Passenger"},"content":{"rendered":"

One often sees studies claiming that even talking on a hands-free cell phone impairs driving. The next logical question one asks is whether talking to a passenger presents the same problem.<\/p>\n

The answer, apparently, is no, and there’s a study<\/a> to back up that assertion (citation below).<\/p>\n

It seems that actual passengers have a tendency to talk about the traffic situation, helping the driver to focus rather than distracting him\/her. Perhaps also, knowing that another person is watching the road provides an incentive to drive better.<\/p>\n

Curiously, one of the signs of “bad driving” in the study is leaving extra space between your car and the car in front of you. In my opinion, that’s a sign of better driving — but I don’t believe my difference of opinion on this point affects the conclusion of the study.<\/p>\n

This study and its results suggest other follow-up studies:<\/p>\n

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  1. Would it help to equip cell-phones with cameras, allowing the caller to see the road?<\/li>\n
  2. If a passengers are blind-folded, do conversations with them suddenly become distractions?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In any event, I believe that when I tell my wife or daughter that they’re doing something incorrectly, it helps them to drive more safely (even if they think it is annoying).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n


    \nArticle: \"Passenger and Cell Phone Conversations in Simulated Driving,\" Frank A. Drews, PhD, Monisha Pasupathi, PhD, and David L. Strayer, PhD; Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol. 14, No. 4. k
    \n<\/code><\/p>\n

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