Wait, so with that mindset, it’s talking to your passenger an ever greater risk, as you might glance over at them while talking? I mean hands free phone seems like less of a distraction than a passenger, no?
I know intuitively this seems logical but research seems to suggest using hands-free devices while driving can actually be more distracting than talking to a passenger. The main reason is that you don’t have the same visual and verbal interaction with the phone, which can lead to cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction is when your mind isn’t fully focused on the road, even if your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel.
A study from the University of Utah found that it takes up to 27 seconds to regain full attention after issuing voice commands to a hands-free device. The study also showed that using hands-free voice commands to dial phone numbers, call contacts, change music, and send texts with personal assistants like Microsoft Cortana, Apple Siri, and Google Now can be highly distracting.
Another study by the National Safety Council found that handheld and hands-free cell phone use causes similar levels of impairment in driving performance. Drivers using hands-free phones tend to “look at” but not “see” objects, experiencing inattention blindness, which is similar to tunnel vision. This can lead to drivers missing important visual cues critical to safety and navigation.
On the other hand, when you’re talking to a passenger, you have the advantage of visual and verbal interaction, which can help maintain your attention on the road. Passengers can also adjust their conversation based on the driving situation, whereas a hands-free device can’t.
So yeah, hands-free devices can be more distracting than talking to a passenger because of the lack of visual and verbal interaction and the cognitive distraction they cause.
University of Utah study on hands-free devices and cognitive distraction: Strayer, D. L., Cooper, J. M., Turrill, J., Coleman, J., Medeiros-Ward, N., & Biondi, F. (2015). Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Automobile. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
National Safety Council study on handheld and hands-free cell phone use: National Safety Council. (2010). Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why Driving While Using Hands-Free Cell Phones is Risky Behavior.
Wait, you’re saying being visually engaged with my passager, meaning looking at them and not the road, helps me pay attention to the road more?
Also it takes 27 seconds to recover focus after saying “Hey Google, play some music.” I mean I’ll have to look at these studies but they seem suspicious. That’s nearly half a mile at 60 mph.
Wait, so with that mindset, it’s talking to your passenger an ever greater risk, as you might glance over at them while talking? I mean hands free phone seems like less of a distraction than a passenger, no?
I know intuitively this seems logical but research seems to suggest using hands-free devices while driving can actually be more distracting than talking to a passenger. The main reason is that you don’t have the same visual and verbal interaction with the phone, which can lead to cognitive distraction. Cognitive distraction is when your mind isn’t fully focused on the road, even if your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel. A study from the University of Utah found that it takes up to 27 seconds to regain full attention after issuing voice commands to a hands-free device. The study also showed that using hands-free voice commands to dial phone numbers, call contacts, change music, and send texts with personal assistants like Microsoft Cortana, Apple Siri, and Google Now can be highly distracting.
Another study by the National Safety Council found that handheld and hands-free cell phone use causes similar levels of impairment in driving performance. Drivers using hands-free phones tend to “look at” but not “see” objects, experiencing inattention blindness, which is similar to tunnel vision. This can lead to drivers missing important visual cues critical to safety and navigation.
On the other hand, when you’re talking to a passenger, you have the advantage of visual and verbal interaction, which can help maintain your attention on the road. Passengers can also adjust their conversation based on the driving situation, whereas a hands-free device can’t.
So yeah, hands-free devices can be more distracting than talking to a passenger because of the lack of visual and verbal interaction and the cognitive distraction they cause.
University of Utah study on hands-free devices and cognitive distraction: Strayer, D. L., Cooper, J. M., Turrill, J., Coleman, J., Medeiros-Ward, N., & Biondi, F. (2015). Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Automobile. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
National Safety Council study on handheld and hands-free cell phone use: National Safety Council. (2010). Understanding the Distracted Brain: Why Driving While Using Hands-Free Cell Phones is Risky Behavior.
Wait, you’re saying being visually engaged with my passager, meaning looking at them and not the road, helps me pay attention to the road more?
Also it takes 27 seconds to recover focus after saying “Hey Google, play some music.” I mean I’ll have to look at these studies but they seem suspicious. That’s nearly half a mile at 60 mph.
yeah i know it seems bizzare I agree, however fwiw that’s what the science seems to indicate.