In the study named ‘Text Messaging During Simulated Driving’ published in journal ‘Human Factors’, the researchers have stated that drivers who text-message while driving are six times more likely to crash than those who talk on the cell phone while driving.
To conduct the study, psychologists Frank Drews and his colleagues selected 20 men and 20 women aged 19 to 23. All the participants were experienced text messengers, with an average of just under 5 years of driving experience.
The participants were placed under two situations. One involved just driving and another included text messaging while driving.
As the drivers performed the two tasks on a high fidelity simulator, the researchers compared things like brake onset time, lane maintenance, collisions and following distance.
Texting slows reaction time
As anticipated, the researchers found that the attention patterns for texters were different than patterns of those who talked on the cellphone while driving.
Texting increased the chances of a crash as it delayed reaction time among the drivers. They were slower to hit the brakes when needed, and their minimum following distance also decreased. Further, their forward and lateral control also suffered.
The type of texting activity also made the difference. Reading a text message slowed the brake onset time compared to those who typed the message.
The median reaction time of the drivers increased by 9 percent when talking while driving compared to just driving, and it jumped to 30 percent when driving and texting.
The reason is that texting requires the drivers to switch attention from one activity to another, thus slowing the overall reaction time.
Incidents of driving and texting
As also stated by the earlier studies, texting is one of the biggest driver distractions. A lot of concern has been raised by regulators and government officials, who have demanded action of some kind.
According to the Cellular Telephone Industries Association, more than 1 trillion text messages were sent in U.S. in 2008.
Further, it has been found that 26 percent of mobile phone users, of which 60 percent were teenagers, indulge in driving while texting, according to the survey by research organization Toluna for Vlingo.
Considering the risk associated with texting while driving, many states in the nation have banned the use of cellphones while driving. States like New Hampshire, Oregon and Illinois will ban texting while driving from Jan. 1, next year.
While many other states are also considering the bills, which if passed, will would regulate use of cellphones behind the wheels.
texting while driving
Anyone texting while driving our idiots.Putting their lifes and the people in the car and most of all other drivers.Wake up ????
I just want to smack you...
...if you are one who texts while driving. On September 20, 2008 my spouse, my 2 daughters and our 2 dogs were coming home from grocery shopping. A woman driving a GARBAGE TRUCK came across both southbound lanes, the median, the fast lane and into our vehicle nearly pushing us into another vehicle waiting to enter the highway. All without ever touching her brakes! She was having a text "fight" with her girlfriend while driving and was totally oblivious to everything else apparently. My husband was off of work for 5 months & had shoulder surgery. One of my daughters had a concussion (and surely would have been worse had she been seated directly behind me instead of in the middle seat in order to share iPod headphones with her sister), and I was airlifted after 3 hours, 2 tow trucks, the jaws of life and several emergency personnel were able to remove me from my Chevy Tahoe. I had 3 broken ribs, one was broken twice which punctured my lung, a severe concussion, a huge hole in my knee, and various bruised and shards of embedded window glass. I was unconscious for days and my children were certain I was going to die. At the accident scene when one of the paramedics opened the rear door of the Tahoe, our beloved dog, Moses, was to terrified by the events that he bolted. He ended up getting hit by a drunken driver on a side road off the highway. Texting drivers should all be smacked repeatedly until they quit texting while driving, and I would personally volunteer to knock a couple of them around!
friend nearly died due to accident involving someone elses texti
The story about the woman who nearly died after a Garbage truck hit her is my friend. It was October 2008 and her legal settlement is still pending. Not only did her husband lose money by being out of work, her children had to watch as emergency personnel worked for two hours getting their mother removed bloody and unconcious. It is even harder knowing that the person who hit her still has a job, has a brand new car and lives in the same area and is seen occasionally by the victims. I don't know what is up legally, settlement could so be used by this family. Mom is unable to work due to disability and she has four kids living at home. People who do this have no consciousness of what can result from their actions. Nor do some seem to care.
Here in the UK
Here in the UK we drive with our left hands and text with our rights hands!
I suppose you think comments
I suppose you think comments like that are 'Funny'. Grow up and think about the terrible consequences of driving dangerously, irresponsibly, and without due care and attention.
Dragon Dictate App Free
You can now email and text using Dragon Dictate - Free for the iPhone
Really????
Please tell me that someone was not given real money to conduct this study.
You concluded that when someone is texting, that they are not paying any attention to the road, and therefore demonstrate and increased propensity and likelihood for motor vehicle accidents?
BRILLIANT!!!!!!
The fact that you quantified what everyone should know in a natural sense is ludicrous.
Where can I get free money to make common sense assessments and call it "science"?
no sh*ast!!!!!!!!!!
no sh*ast!!!!!!!!!!
Post new comment