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The National Safety Council estimates that 28 percent of all highway accidents and deaths are caused by drivers paying poor attention to the road because they’re holding cell phones to their heads. But a study of 200 volunteers finds that one out of every 40 people apparently can operate a vehicle just fine while chatting on a phone. In simulated driving tests, anyway. The research by University of Utah psychologists Jason Watson and David Strayer will be published in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review.
Why are there so few great multitaskers? The researchers say there may be a hidden cost, and that someone might excel at multi-tasking at the expense of other information processing. Or the high-tech environment that rewards multi-tasking is too new for the ability to have widely propagated, if there’s a true evolutionary advantage to having it.
The researchers want to study so-called supertaskers to find out how their brains do it. Meanwhile, don’t assume you’re one of the very few who can apparently talk and drive safely. There’s a very high probability that you’re not.
—Steve Mirsky
[The above text is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
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15 Comments
Add CommentWhile I'm the absolute queen of multitasking, I'm pretty certain I don't fall into this driving catagory. It's an interesting study, but I'm very glad that it ends by reminding people that it's unlikely they're one of the supertaskers. Given that we all tend to think we're above average, I think the article absolutely required that caveat at the end!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt has to do with your driving skills, if you are a bad driver to begin with, adding a cell phone to the left side of your face just makes you worst. The study should be done with subjects that have been tested for their good driving skills.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell that's interesting to know,however problem is that if you talk into your cell phone you get off the wheel one hand...so basically your driving skills in case of an emergency manoeuvre are for sure less efficient...atually I was so fascinated by this topic I even founded a forum everyone is wcm to join
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/telephonedriving/
Andy
I've personally avoided an accident (and a serious one, at that) while talking on the phone. Does that make me a super-tasker? Maybe, maybe not. I may have just been lucky. I think it's difficult to broadly assume that there are some people who can safely handle driving and talking on the phone at the same time and some who can't. It would seem that the situation one finds oneself in would factor more into this than driving ability alone.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wonder to what degree, if any, age plays in this?
Driving requires the full attention of the driver. People who think they are capable of multitasking while driving are idiots. What intrigues me is that the stupidest always seem to think they are the smartest. Sadly they kill/maim others who may not be as stupid as them.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOn the bright side, world population is out of control, stupid people help to a small extent.
Ye guys there are some interesting points here we may say fone drive is dangerous becoz:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this1 ) u drive with only 1 hand
2) u may get somhow "psycotic" (ie out of reality becot u concentrate more on the fone discussion than on the road reality
got the mechanism?
I seem to have the ability to multi-task with above average proficiency, but I have some severe challenges with focus and organizing on other levels such as time management and task prioritizing. This may be an example of the trade-off mentioned in this article. It would be very interesting to know more about the research in this field. I have taken flight training and know that pilots must develop intense multi-tasking skills. It would also be interesting to know what percentage of pilots qualify as "supertaskers."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere has been many times when i have been driving and talking on the phone, and i personally don't feel like i'm distracted when i do so. Meanwhile, texting while i drive is a different story. I used to be really bad at it and had a few close calls, but now its not as hard for me anymore. That being said, i don't do it anymore, because i have heard stories of some pretty horrific accidents caused by texting and driving. I think it is an acquired skill, just like playing piano and basketball. The more you practice, the better you become. Unfortunately, the consequences of messing up are a lot more severe. Bottom like, don't text and drive!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMultitasking is really a kind of super capability, I think it's difficult for me to control my car when thinking about stuff.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell the rationale behind multitasking is probably "I do all those things together in order to save time"....mind,this may be a good idea for many activities ( myself I happen to shave while drying my hair + sipping the morning coffee..) however I don't think this is a good idea for driving;having been on an ambulance training course I've had the occasion to get a sense of the enormous forces we are dealing with when driving a car (we often understimate this,taking safety "for granted"..),however something may go wrong anytime (+accidents are always different: so basically unpredictable..).This requires the drivers to be very well focused on what they do.....no excuse in my view (also from a legeal standpoint I mean,otherwise better catch the bus down the road....)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think driving is involved with kinda of skill. If you possess this skill perfectly, your brain can handle other things that don't require too much attention at the same time. I totally believe it depends on how good you are at driving.^^
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi agree with you
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisyou may not be a good driver and adding a cell phone may put your life at risk or even someone else. so please dont dive while talking or texting too. thanks
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find multi-tasking super easy for me... I am always on my phone when I am in the car, but then again I am always doing 2 things at once... Just not enough time in a day to get everything done. I just think some people can't drive and talk at the same time just like people that can't chew gum and walk at the same time. I guess it just depends on the person...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI do agree that driving on the high way on a cell phone is not such a great idea.I mean I do and its really not hard to talking on the phone i think iy=ts way better then having a piece in your ear... Why?? Cause the driver are looking down more then if they would have just answered the phone.Sos all happens day after day and society should just work with it im sure there are more gangs ect that are doing faster and gets to the point
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