Noticed an increase in people driving while cell-phoning? The latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey finds more motorists than ever are using cellular phones while they drive.
Last year, at any given daylight moment, an estimated 8 percent (1.2 million) of U.S. drivers were using cell phones (both hand-held and hands-free) while operating their vehicles, the survey says. This compares to 6 percent in 2002 and 4 percent in 2000.
With that steady increase comes a rise in what researchers have dubbed "inattention blindness." Studies show that talking on a cell phone while driving disrupts the driver's attention to the visual environment. Even when they direct their gaze at objects in their driving environment, drivers sometimes fail to "see" them because their attention is focused elsewhere.
The distracting effects of the phone conversations themselves direct the driver/caller's attention away from the external environment. Instead, they turn their focus towards an internal, cognitive context associated with the conversation they are having.
But wait, there's more. Previous research demonstrates that driving while cell-phoning can lead to significant decreases in driving performance, and that driver distractions can occur regardless of whether hand-held or hands-free cell phones are used.
Ah, to return to the pre-cell phone days when a driver's primary focus was on operating the motor vehicle safely.
